Practicing in Europe

[PB]

Hello, everyone,

I'm curious what are the requirements to practice medicine in Europe. That's where I eventually would like to end up or at least have a position that allows me to go between the U.S. and Europe.
Do you know if a person graduates from a medical school in Mexico, are they permitted to practice in Europe?
Hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks!

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[Matt the Medic]

From what I understand, I don't think there are any barriers to practicing medicine in a different country than that in which you qualified. I have heard of many people who have qualified in England and moved on to practice medicine in other countries with very little difficulty. You may find it difficult to find a job in places such as Germany or France where there is a high unemployment rate for doctors. Less developed, eastern european countries are always looking for doctors, but living quality is not good, and they are usually far happier with volunteers. England (where I'm from) is desparately short of doctors, so you will easily find a job here. However, the most important thing to think of is whether you can speak fluently enough in the natural language of that country. Remember, that although most french people who go on holiday abroad can speak english, not all patients in a french hospital can. You'll certainly be asked as to what language qualifications you have, and may even require a specific degree. You'd be surprised how many people don't think of the language barrier. Believe me, I've spoken to people who have.

Good luck with you're future.

[This message has been edited by Matt the Medic (edited 03-20-2000).]

 

[Simul]

I am in Denmark right now, and I know Scandinavian countries have some shortages of doctors, and they would easily take an American trained doctor (they'd probably fly em in overnight)... but Danish is a hard language, hehe.

Anyway, I had a class on European Health Systems. If you think that HMOs shackle down doctors, wait till you see how social insurance or tax funded systems work. Not such a bad thing, because malpractice suits are virtually unheard of. Also, salaries are not nearly as high. A neurosurgeon in Denmark makes one million Danish crowns (aproximately 125,000 USD). Working hours are considerably less, and less stressful at that. Taxes are very high in Scandinvia - 60% about. Plus 25% sales tax (included in the prices of goods). The quality of life is extremely high, and the public is very satisfied, but an Americans who are afraid of any sort of state intervention or taxes would probably freak.

I am just a study abroad student right now, but I would love to work here for a time as a physician, or in any other European country...

Any questions, just write..
Simul

 

[PB]

Hello,
thanks for the information. Are you studying medicine in Denmark now? What other European countries would you think about practicing medicine in? What about Belgium or the Netherlands? I've been trying so hard to look into European schools, but the language seems to be the biggest problem. The schools that teach in English are set up specifically for foreigners a lot of times.
Ultimately, I would love to study medicine somewhere in Europe and then eventually practice international medicine, maybe for an international heatlh organization. At this point, I don't know if any school in Europe (with a good reputation and for 4 years) is available to me, as an American.
Comments?
PB

 

[Fiona]

St George's in London, UK do a four year course for graduates and they have a very good rep, but it doesn't solve any language problems for the rest of europe! Their website is at www.sghms.ac.uk - take a look (you want the GEP - grad entry programme).

Fiona

 

[argonx]

I don't think this is for Americans. The website at St. Gor. in London says thats it's aim is to train more english doctors.
I think they take very few Americans into their program.

 

[Stephen Ewen]

Here is the URL for the definitive book on practicing in Europe:
http://yi.com/home/EysenbachGunther/medeuro.htm

It is good to be aware that most of Erope is morre amply supplied with docs than even the US is. View the list of the woprld below and scan for Europe to see.


Persons per Physician by Nation and Region in Descending Order


Nation
Region
Persons per
Physician
Burkino Faso
Africa
57310

Malawi
Africa
45740
Mozambique

Africa
43536
Rwanda
Africa
40610
Niger
Africa
38500
Ethiopia

Africa
32500
Chad
Africa
30030
Eritrea

Africa
28000
Cambodia
Asia
27000
Central African
Republic
Africa
25890
Tanzania
Africa
24970
Zaire
Africa
23193
Ghana
Africa
22970
Uganda
Africa
20300
Mali
Africa
19450
Somalia
Africa
19071
Ivory Coast
Africa
17847
Senegal
Africa
17650
Nepal
Asia
16830
Lesotha
Africa
15728
Angola
Africa
15136
Gambia
Africa
14536
Mauritania
Africa
13167
Sierra Leone
Africa
13150
Togo
Africa
12992
Burundai
Africa
12190
Cameroon
Africa
12190
Benin
Africa
11306
Comoros
Africa
11100
Zambia
Africa
10920
Kenya
Africa
10150
Papua New Guinea
Oceania
9943
Guinea
Africa
9732
Sudan
Africa
9369
Liberia
Africa
9324
Bhutan
Asia
8969
Madagascar
Africa
8120
Philippines
Asia
8120
Swaziland
Africa
7971
Vanuatu
Oceania
7345
Zimbabwe
Africa
7110
Indonesia
Asia
7030
Nigeria
Africa
6537
Afghan.
Asia
6430
Jamaica
West Indies
6159
Haiti
America
6083
Sri Lanka
Asia
5870
Yemen
Middle
East
5531
Botswana
Africa
5417
Maldives
Asia
5377
Bangladesh
Asia
5264
Djibouti
Africa
5258
Cape Verde
Africa
4929
Namibia
Africa
4610
Kiribati
Oceania
4483
Mauritius
Africa
4415
Thailand
Asia
4360
Congo
Africa
3873
Equatorial Guinea
Africa
3622
Samoa
Oceania
3584
Solomon Islands
Oceania
3584
Western Samoa
Oceania
3584
Laos
Asia
3555
Burma
Asia
3389
Guinea Bissau
Africa
3262
Honduras
C America
3090
Micronesia
Oceania
3084
Pakistan
Asia
2940
Vietnam
Asia
2843
S Tome & P
Africa
2819
St. Vincent
West Indies
2690
Iran
Middle
East
2685
Guyana
S America
2552
St. Lucia
West Indies
2521
India
Asia
2460
Fiji
Oceania
2438
Malaysia
Asia
2410
Guatemala
C America
2356
Tuvalu
Oceania
2261
Marshall Islands
Oceania
2217
Tokelau
Oceania
2217
Tonga
Oceania
2130
Bolivia
S America
2124
Gabon
Africa
2000
Dominica
West Indies
1947
Iraq
Middle
East
1922
Nicaragua
C America
1882
Tunisia
Africa
1870
Belize
West Indies
1708
Grenada
West Indies
1617
Trinidad
West Indies
1543
Tobago
West Indies
1543
Nevis
West Indies
1498
Brunei Dar
Asia
1473
Suriname
S America
1348
Antigua & Barbuda
West Indies
1330
El Salvador
C America
1322
Egypt
Africa
1320
South Africa
Africa
1271
Paraguay
S America
1250
Turkey
Middle
East
1180
Oman
Middle
East
1078
South Korea
Asia
1070
Algeria
Africa
1062
Colombia
S America
1061
Syria
Middle
East
1037
Liechtenst
Europe
1007
Peru
S America
997
Seychelles
Africa
992
Ecuador
S America
980
Bahrain
Middle
East
953
Dominican Republic
C America
934
Chile
S America
895
Malta
Europe
890
Panama
C America
840
Jordan
Middle
East
813
Taiwan
C Asia
802
Mexico
C America
800
Costa Rica
C America
798
Lebanon
Middle
East
771
Singapore
Asia
711
Nauru
Oceania
700
Libya
Africa
690
Brazil
S America
685
Ireland
Europe
681
Qatar
Middle
East
660
China
Asia
648
Hong Kong
Asia
648
Tibet
Asia
648
Switzerland
Europe
630
United Arab Emirates
Middle
East
618
United King
Europe
611
Japan
Asia
610
Venezuela
S America
590
Albania
Europe
574
Romania
Europe
560
Yugoslavia
Europe
533
Saudi Arabia
Middle
East
523
Kuwait
Middle
East
515
Andorra
Europe
502
Slovenia
Europe
496
Monaco
Europe
490
Poland
Europe
490
Cyprus
Middle
East
478
Luxembourg
Europe
469
Canada
N America
450
Australia
Oceania
438
Macedonia
Europe
420
Finland
Europe
406
Netherlands
Europe
400
Sweden
Europe
395
Mongolia
Asia
380
San Marino
Europe
375
North Korea
Asia
370
Tajikistan
Asia
362
Denmark
Europe
360
New Zealand
Oceania
359
Croatia
Europe
356
Iceland
Europe
355
France
Europe
350
Portugal
Europe
348
Israel
Middle
East
345
Hungary
Europe
344
United States
N America
341
Uruguay

S America
341
Argentina
S America
340
Bahamas
C America
340
Barbados
C America
340
Slovakia
Europe
328
Bulgaria
Europe
320
Czech Republic
Europe
311
Belgium
Europe
310
Norway
Europe
305
Cuba
C America
303
Greece
Europe
303
Germany
Europe
293
Uzbekistan
Asia
290
Latvia
Europe
275
Turkmenistan
Asia
274
Kyrgyzstan
Asia
271
Spain
Europe
257
Azerbaijan
Asia
255
Kazakhstan
Asia
250
Belarus
Europe
250
Moldova
Europe
250
Armenia
Asia
246
Austria
Europe
230
Ukraine
Europe
230
Lithuania
Europe
220
Russia
Asia
210
Estonia
Europe
210
Italy
Europe
210
Georgia
Asia
170

 

[Fiona]

The GEP at St George's is for any graduates - they would probably expect you the practice in the UK though (after all, it is england that is short of docs...) You could lie about where you intend to practice... although I wouldn't recommend it wholeheartedly!