POST GRADUATE TRAINING
Healthcare professionals are in the business of lifelong learning and this is a question that might pose itself at different stages of your career. You may want to experience life in a different county, or get some training experience that might be only available in a particular part of the world. You may want to explore further training now that your life is more stable. You might have hit a glass ceiling.
A considerable amount of thought has to go into the decision making process when you start contemplating your postgraduate options. In addition to your choice of speciality, you also need to have realistic options, consider your immediate and wider family.
It is worthwhile spending some time at this stage deciding what is best for you as your investment in time and effort will reap most rewards if you plan it well.
a) What do I want to achieve?
b) What length of time do I have to spend?
c) Would I like to combine this with a permanent relocation?
d) Where do I gain postgraduate experience?
The Choice you make also is determined by the stage of your career. If you are just out of medical school, most countries including the UK will want some further local experience. This is the case both for tier 2 visa (salary threshold) and tier 5 ( eligible after 3 – 5 years in specialty).
If you have 4 – 10 years of post graduate, you are probably at the right stage to consider UK experience. You have the wealth of knowledge and the daring to make it happen. You will have sufficient knowledge to adapt to different practice of medicine in a new country.
You may be also in a position where you have more than 10 years experience. While a change of scene may still be an option, you have to consider the practice you have built up and also consider the impact of uprooting your family. A focused short term training may be a good option.