What is happening with the Irish drive to hire doctors from India and Pakistan

Hi,
I am just curious about the newly hired doctors from India and pakistan. Has the IMC given registration etc. I heard about few doctors who reached dublin and were still looking for jobs. Any information will help all!

DRIVING LICENCE IN IRELAND

To Obtain a driving licence in Ireland is a two step process
1.First you need to pass the theory test for that you need to go through the official CD of RSA to know the common road signs etc.
2. Once you pass the theory test you apply to the nearest office for a Provisional Driving Licence you will need the form to be signed by a doctor and will have to submit the form with appropriate fee with your passport to the nearest office. You will get your Provisional Driving Licence with passport in post once the processing is done.

3. Once you have got the provisional driving licence you may drive a car in Ireland provided you are accompanied always by a Full Irish Driving licence holder who is having full licence for at least 2 years.

4. The second step is to pass the Practical theory test. You will need classes to pass the practical theory test as it is not easy to pass. Look for a qualified instructor which you can find online.

Where to Buy a Car in Ireland

If you are new to Ireland and want to buy a car the options for buying a second hand car are either from a dealer or directly from an owner. The advantage of buying directly from an owner is that it will be much cheaper than buying from a dealer. With a dealer the car will be much expensive but some of them give you warranty on the car.
The important points are
1. Make sure the car has an uptodate NCT(National Car Test) which is valid for 2 years from the date of passing. You can't drive a car in Ireland unless it has got an uptodate NCT or exempt from it (Exemption applies only to cars which are younger than 4 years),
2, Don't buy from a dealer unless he/she gives you a warranty since there is no advantage compared to buying from an owner if the dealer does not give warranty and you will only end up paying more. If they give warranty then only it is worth paying more.
3. If buying from an owner it will be a good idea to show the car to a mechanic who will be happy to examine for a fee.

Certificate of good standing for Irish Medical Council

You need an uptodate certificate of good standing from your home medical council at the initial time of submitting your documents to the medical council as well as when you get a job and are granted the registration. The certificate of good standing should be dated within the last 3 months. So if you submit your application initially and submit a certificate of good standing and if there is a lapse of few months before you get registration you will need another certificate of good standing dated within last 3 months.

Salary of Non Consultant Doctor in Ireland

The In hand salary of a Non Consultant Hospital Doctor (The grade where most non EEA Doctors are working in Ireland) has reduced significantly in the last year due to reduction in the number of hours one can work. The base salary is your official salary that you get which is not great but in the past one used to get upto 50% more by doing overtime in the hospital(which was there in the Rota). Now the base salary has gone down and the payment for overtime including the rates have plummeted significantly leading to a significant reduction in in hand salary of a NCHD.

Certificate of Experience(Internship) as an exemption to PRES

The Irish Medical Council is planning to introduce a new Certificate of Experience assessment under which if you have a certificate equivalent to the internship certificate as assessed by the Irish Medical Council you will be exempt from PRES exam to gain registration. Please contact the Irish Medical Council website for latest guidance.

Where to Live in Ireland while Preparing for PRES( Level 3 exam)

Ireland is not a cheap place to live. You may find accommodation while online search( DAFT.IE is a good site) with sharing or studio apartment. The tips include

1.If renting in Dublin Try to rent housing near the Luas line(Luas means TRAM) or DART line(DART is sort of local train) as substantial number of hospitals in Dublin  are accessible visa LUAS or DART.
2. Be careful in choosing with whom you are going to rent.(Its best to rent with people who are preparing the exam with you)
3. To know how an area is it is best to visit the area in evening (Around 7-8 pm) after you have visited in morning.
4. I myself preferred renting directly from landlords as there is less beurocratic paperwork involved, I found them more accessible and all my landlords/landladies were quite helpful.

Can I do Locums while on TIER 2 Visa

You can do Locums only at the Trust/Hospital who has applied for TIER 2 visa for you (It means Internal Locums or inside the trust locums)

Can I work in any Hospital after obtaining TIER 2 Visa

You can work only in the hospital or trust  who obtained TIER 2 Visa for you for the duration of TIER 2 Visa. If you want to change employer your new employer will have to apply for a new Certificate of Sponsorship from Home Office.  

TIER 2 VISA for non EEA Doctors wanting to Practice medicine in U.K.

In the U.K. after a non EEA Doctor  has got fully registered with GMC the visa options have become limited after abolition of TIER 1 Visa from 6 th April 2011. Now a Doctor needs to get TIER 2 Visa to work the process of which is roughly as follows

1. You apply for a job.
2. The employer agrees to give you the job (For period of 6 months to 1 year variable really)
3. The employer applies to home office for a sponsorship certificate.
4. Home office approves the certificate.
5. you complete a PBS assessment at UK home office website and if you score sufficient points apply to the British Consultate in your country for TIER 2 Visa.

PRES Level 3

PRES Level 3 is the next part of the exam which is designed to test the practical aspects of practicing medicine in Ireland which includes but is not limited to testing the communication skills, showing empathy and correctly carrying about the commonly performed examinations(Like Respiratory,CVS,Musculoskeletal etc. You need to practice with a practice buddy for at least 3-4 weeks. It can only be taken in Ireland so you need to save some money for the trip for living in Ireland while preparing for the exam.
Book recommended- London PLAB

PRES Level 2

PRES Level 2 is similiar to PLAB 1 in content as it is  an MCQ exam with negative marking. To pass the exam one needs to obtain more marks than the cutoff   passing marks as required by Irish Medical Council. For preparing for the MCQ Exam the tips are as follows

1. Books Recommended- Oxford Handbook of Medicine and Oxford handbook of surgery.
2. Common things are common- Naturally the important topics will include the medical conditions seen commonly during practice of medicine in Ireland and the topics which are hotly debated in medical press. I will come up with a list of important topics and some study material soon.
3. Level 2 exam (MCQ Section) should be completed in your country of residence prior to coming to Ireland as there are plenty of overseas centers for the exam and living in Ireland while not working is many times more expensive than one's home country.
4. Do not take the exam lightly- Since you will be investing your valuable time and money for the exam you would not like to repeat it so give sufficient time preparing for the exam. At least 3 months should be dedicated to the exam.

PRES

PreRegistration Exam System is a series of exams which a non irish doctor need to pass in order to practice medicine in Ireland and be eligible for  registration with the Irish Medical Council.(via the non specialist route)
Broadly speaking it consists of passing the IELTS(Level 1) Followed be passing the MCQ exam (Level 2)Followed by passing the Practical exam(Level 3) by the Irish Medical Council
Once a doctor passes all the exams within a set time period he/she is eligible for registration with the Irish Medical Council and able to train or practice in Republic of Ireland.
In the following blogs I will write in detail about the exams etc.