‘In far-flung places, there is a lack of mentoring and guidance because the emphasis is on patient turnover rather than supporting professional aspirations.’‘In far-flung places, there is a lack of mentoring and guidance because the emphasis is on patient turnover rather than supporting professional aspirations.’Last modified on Tue 10 May 2022 18.31 BSTOn my way to a conference, the taxi driver has taken an inordinate interest in my work until I am forced to reveal that I am an oncologist.
Sadly, day after day I watched his niche skills atrophy while he figured out mundane tasks. I tried to “tutor” him, but turning an accomplished surgeon into a medical intern felt demeaning. Eventually, he gave up on his dream of reprising his former role, thus proving a loss to his country of birth and his adopted one.Australia relies very heavily on foreign-trained doctors and nurses to sustain its healthcare system.
The idea of paying experts to leave their own country to fulfil a local need creates an ethical dilemma. Last month when I was in India, I did not meet a single person unaffected by the pandemic.the World Health Organization estimates the true number to be closer to 4 million, including droves of frontline healthcare workers.
Still, one might argue that in a free world, workers should be free to take their skills wherever they want. Indeed, some patients unabashedly tell me that their “foreign” doctor or nurse is “no good”. I bristle at this broad accusation because the situation might be different if they received a proper orientation, a cultural education, and ongoing professional and pastoral care. In the absence of these things, career progression can become an afterthought.I once worked with an overseas doctor who held aloft the emergency department.