In April 2006, the Home Office introduced new immigration rules destroying the long established symbiotic relationship of Britain with international medical graduates (IMGs). The exodus of thousands of doctors who had invested heavily in the UK hoping for better careers and training followed.
It led to an unprecedented and expensive legal battle between the IMGs and the establishment which, despite its just outcome, left a bitter taste in the mouths of all involved.
Now, three years later, the Department of Health has set up the Medical Training Initiative (MTI). The much publicised press statement says that the government is keen to continue the close links between the UK and the international community and provide “much needed” training for overseas doctors. However, the MTI comes with strings attached - doctors involved can only spend a maximum of two years in the UK and must then return to their country of origin regardless of whether they have achieved their training objectives or not.
At a time when the seven-year training model is under intense debate for being inadequate, it is anyone’s guess how much training can be imparted in two years.
Tags: IMG, Recruitment, WTD
