KUMJ | VOL. 22 | NO. 1 | ISSUE 85 | JANUARY - MARCH

Impact of International Medical Graduates on the UK Healthcare System: Current Contributions and Future Challenges
Gautam A, Sakthivel J, Rahman FA

Abstract:
The Professional And Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination and the International English Language Teaching System (IELTS) represent pivotal evaluations for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) aspiring to pursue medical vocations within the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) leans significantly upon the expertise of medically trained professionals hailing from abroad, a fact further underscored by the substantial composition of IMGs within its workforce. The prevailing aftermath of the persistent pandemic has magnified the preexisting deficit of medical practitioners in the nation, thereby compounding the existing challenges. The intersection of circumscribed temporal constraints governing language proficiency assessments and the restricted worldwide capacity for the placement of IMGs has served to exacerbate this conundrum. This dual- pronged challenge has led to a noteworthy contraction in the pool of qualified physicians eligible to practice within the UK, thus catalyzing a climate of upheaval. These circumstances carry implications not solely for the medical workforce but also reverberate on the psychological equilibrium of these professionals. The exigencies imposed by their geographical separation from their homelands, coupled with the formidable task of surmounting the hurdle of examinations within an environment fraught with adversities, have underscored the urgency for timely and strategic intervention. Given the intricacies of this situation, the relevant governing authorities bear the imperative of instituting proactive measures to alleviate the predicament faced by these aspiring medical candidates. The call for timely interventions resonates strongly, aimed at ameliorating their predicament and restoring a semblance of equilibrium to this intricate situation.
Keyword : International english language teaching system (IELTS), International medical graduates (IMGs), National health service (NHS), Medical workforce, Pandemic, Professional and linguistic assessments board (PLAB)