My advice to IMGs who plan to come to the UK only to acquire a specialist skill - via MTI
This blog post is for those international medical graduates who plan to work in the UK on a MTI scheme.
I am going to go through this in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
What is MTI?
This stands for medical training initiative. This exists in every specialty now. The reason behind introducing this scheme was to meet the deficiency of specialty doctors in the NHS.
How does this work?
These are the steps:
1. Search for the specialty you are interested in on Google - eg, "MTI in medicine UK", "MTI in gynae/obs UK" etc.
2. Read what the requirements are
3. Email the team if you have any queries.
4. Meet the outstanding requirements - ie English language requirements:
https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/evidence-of-your-knowledge-of-english/using-your-ielts-certificate
https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/evidence-of-your-knowledge-of-english/using-your-oet-certificate
5. Give your interview.
6. Find out if the hospital you are being selected for meets your training needs.
7. Get registered with the GMC
8. Get your certificate of sponsorship from the hospital.
9. Apply for a work visa.
10. Come to the UK.
I have noticed that point 6 above is in a different font.
Yes- because this is the most important thing!
Why?
Doctors working abroad think that every hospital in the UK is state of art and has all facilities 24/7 and any hospital will be fine for them to learn their specialist skill. This is not true.
How is that possible?
There are 2 types of hospitals in the NHS:
1. Tertiary centers which have state of the art facilities.
2. District hospitals which may not have all facilities and services.
I have no idea what you are talking about. Please give me an example.
For example, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough has a 24/7 primary PCI service. They have a huge CCU and the cath lab is open 24/7.
Scarborough District Hospital does not have a 24/7 service and runs a 0900 to 1700 and that too, only for diagnostic angiograms ( This may change in the future though).
What difference does it make?
For example if you are working as a trainee in cardiology in your home country and you want to come to the UK to improve your skills in angiograms then you should go for a job in a hospital which offers such services at a wider scale.
That is crazy! Why would they offer me a post if they know what my purpose of coming to the UK is.
Because they are understaffed here and district hospitals need more doctors as well.They also expect that doctors who are about to accept a post know what the trust has to offer.
So what should I do?
When you are interviewed, ask about this specifically.
Ie- that you are interested in doing angiograms and PPCIs. Your main purpose of coming to the UK is to get a hands on experience on these.
Also, research the hospitals on your own as well.
How do I do that?
For example, if you have been offered a post at Harrogate District Hospital and you are interested in doing angiograms you can search the website and see what services that trust offers and if it will help you meet your requirements.
How do I do that?
Search this on Google " Harrogate Hospital cardiology"
You will be directed to this page:
https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/cardiorespiratory/
As you can see, there is no angiogram service available. This makes it easy for you to decide that if you want to acquire specialist skills in angiograms, this trust is not best for you.
But the interviewers said that I will be allowed to do angiograms in other hospitals.
The nearest hospital where angiograms are done is in Leeds/ cities near it - which are a 30 min to 1 hour drive away. Just imagine living in Harrogate and having to commute to Leeds ( which has a different computer system) on a regular basis. It would make more sense to get a MTI post in that specialist center in Leeds so that you can reside in Leeds, work in that trust and also get hands-on experience whilst working there.
I know a few people who were able to acquire their skills by working in a District Hospital.
Not all district hospitals lack services. For example, York District Hospital has a 0900 to 1700 angio suite ( which might be expanded to a 24/7 service) and the team there supports IMGs and non trainees a lot.
How will I find this information?
Just like I explained above, Google it and see what services that trust offers.
No, I meant that how can I find out if the hospital supports MTI doctors?
By joining this group and asking here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IMGs.in.the.UK/
Also, go through this blog:
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2018/11/guidance-on-getting-reviews-of-hospitals.html
Will I be registered with the GMC permanently if I come here via the MTI scheme?Yes, you will.
Which means that once I have completed the time I was contracted to work for, I can apply for another post?
Yes, you can.
How will I do that?
1. Complete your contracted time in the trust.
2. Apply for jobs via NHS jobs or if you want to go into training, apply for the relevant specialty.
Go through this blog:
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2019/10/how-to-get-training-post-in-uk.html
3. Once you have been offered a post and received your certificate of sponsorship, apply for a TIER 2 work visa ( If you are on a tier 5 visa, you will have to go back to your home country to apply for a TIER 2 work visa).
4. Come back on your new TIER 2 work visa and start working.
So it is not the end of the world if I do not get a post in a trust which would help me acquire a specialist skill?
Absolutely. However if you were planning to stay in the UK ONLY for that contracted time and want to come to back to your home country, then I would strongly suggest that you go for a post in a hospital which offers that specialist skill service at least from 0900 to 1700 if not 24/7 ( which would definitely be ideal).
What is your final advice?
1. Be very careful in accepting a post as a MTI trainee if you want to come to the UK ONLY to acquire a specialist skill.
2. Do your research. In this day of technology, you should have no excuses not to be able to find out whether a hospital which has offered a post to you will help you meet your training needs or not.
3. Ask! The IMGs in the UK Facebook group is very helpful in getting information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IMGs.in.the.UK/
4. Even if you do not get into a trust which allows you to gain that specialist skill, work hard, get noticed ( doctors who work hard and passionately are always recognized) and your supervisors will personally ensure that you get your desired skills requirement met.
I hope this blog helps MTI doctors make a decision.
There are few other groups and blogs which can help which are mentioned here:
https://naseersjourney.com/useful-links/
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=MTI&epa=SEARCH_BOX
I am going to go through this in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
What is MTI?
This stands for medical training initiative. This exists in every specialty now. The reason behind introducing this scheme was to meet the deficiency of specialty doctors in the NHS.
How does this work?
These are the steps:
1. Search for the specialty you are interested in on Google - eg, "MTI in medicine UK", "MTI in gynae/obs UK" etc.
2. Read what the requirements are
3. Email the team if you have any queries.
4. Meet the outstanding requirements - ie English language requirements:
https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/evidence-of-your-knowledge-of-english/using-your-ielts-certificate
https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-the-register/before-you-apply/evidence-of-your-knowledge-of-english/using-your-oet-certificate
5. Give your interview.
6. Find out if the hospital you are being selected for meets your training needs.
7. Get registered with the GMC
8. Get your certificate of sponsorship from the hospital.
9. Apply for a work visa.
10. Come to the UK.
I have noticed that point 6 above is in a different font.
Yes- because this is the most important thing!
Why?
Doctors working abroad think that every hospital in the UK is state of art and has all facilities 24/7 and any hospital will be fine for them to learn their specialist skill. This is not true.
How is that possible?
There are 2 types of hospitals in the NHS:
1. Tertiary centers which have state of the art facilities.
2. District hospitals which may not have all facilities and services.
I have no idea what you are talking about. Please give me an example.
For example, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough has a 24/7 primary PCI service. They have a huge CCU and the cath lab is open 24/7.
Scarborough District Hospital does not have a 24/7 service and runs a 0900 to 1700 and that too, only for diagnostic angiograms ( This may change in the future though).
What difference does it make?
For example if you are working as a trainee in cardiology in your home country and you want to come to the UK to improve your skills in angiograms then you should go for a job in a hospital which offers such services at a wider scale.
That is crazy! Why would they offer me a post if they know what my purpose of coming to the UK is.
Because they are understaffed here and district hospitals need more doctors as well.They also expect that doctors who are about to accept a post know what the trust has to offer.
So what should I do?
When you are interviewed, ask about this specifically.
Ie- that you are interested in doing angiograms and PPCIs. Your main purpose of coming to the UK is to get a hands on experience on these.
Also, research the hospitals on your own as well.
How do I do that?
For example, if you have been offered a post at Harrogate District Hospital and you are interested in doing angiograms you can search the website and see what services that trust offers and if it will help you meet your requirements.
How do I do that?
Search this on Google " Harrogate Hospital cardiology"
You will be directed to this page:
https://www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/cardiorespiratory/
As you can see, there is no angiogram service available. This makes it easy for you to decide that if you want to acquire specialist skills in angiograms, this trust is not best for you.
But the interviewers said that I will be allowed to do angiograms in other hospitals.
The nearest hospital where angiograms are done is in Leeds/ cities near it - which are a 30 min to 1 hour drive away. Just imagine living in Harrogate and having to commute to Leeds ( which has a different computer system) on a regular basis. It would make more sense to get a MTI post in that specialist center in Leeds so that you can reside in Leeds, work in that trust and also get hands-on experience whilst working there.
I know a few people who were able to acquire their skills by working in a District Hospital.
Not all district hospitals lack services. For example, York District Hospital has a 0900 to 1700 angio suite ( which might be expanded to a 24/7 service) and the team there supports IMGs and non trainees a lot.
How will I find this information?
Just like I explained above, Google it and see what services that trust offers.
No, I meant that how can I find out if the hospital supports MTI doctors?
By joining this group and asking here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IMGs.in.the.UK/
Also, go through this blog:
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2018/11/guidance-on-getting-reviews-of-hospitals.html
Will I be registered with the GMC permanently if I come here via the MTI scheme?Yes, you will.
Which means that once I have completed the time I was contracted to work for, I can apply for another post?
Yes, you can.
How will I do that?
1. Complete your contracted time in the trust.
2. Apply for jobs via NHS jobs or if you want to go into training, apply for the relevant specialty.
Go through this blog:
https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2019/10/how-to-get-training-post-in-uk.html
3. Once you have been offered a post and received your certificate of sponsorship, apply for a TIER 2 work visa ( If you are on a tier 5 visa, you will have to go back to your home country to apply for a TIER 2 work visa).
4. Come back on your new TIER 2 work visa and start working.
So it is not the end of the world if I do not get a post in a trust which would help me acquire a specialist skill?
Absolutely. However if you were planning to stay in the UK ONLY for that contracted time and want to come to back to your home country, then I would strongly suggest that you go for a post in a hospital which offers that specialist skill service at least from 0900 to 1700 if not 24/7 ( which would definitely be ideal).
What is your final advice?
1. Be very careful in accepting a post as a MTI trainee if you want to come to the UK ONLY to acquire a specialist skill.
2. Do your research. In this day of technology, you should have no excuses not to be able to find out whether a hospital which has offered a post to you will help you meet your training needs or not.
3. Ask! The IMGs in the UK Facebook group is very helpful in getting information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IMGs.in.the.UK/
4. Even if you do not get into a trust which allows you to gain that specialist skill, work hard, get noticed ( doctors who work hard and passionately are always recognized) and your supervisors will personally ensure that you get your desired skills requirement met.
I hope this blog helps MTI doctors make a decision.
There are few other groups and blogs which can help which are mentioned here:
https://naseersjourney.com/useful-links/
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=MTI&epa=SEARCH_BOX
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