Making it in British Medicine: Essential Guide for International Doctors

The opening chapter, ‘Before leaving home’, concisely covers what the overseas doctor should expect and lists the essentials for training/working in the UK. The information on The Royal College of Surgeons of England and its rules are not fully detailed here but are dealt with in a later. The second chapter, ‘Medicine in Britain’, presents an introduction to the NHS and the different types of hospital in the UK. It encourages the overseas doctor to practise a multidisciplinary team approach, explains what constitutes a good team and the consequences of poor teamwork. However, the topic suddenly changes into talking about the British Medical Association, The Royal College of Surgeons of England and the pay banding for doctors. It is difficult to explain about medicine in Britain in 12 pages but we found this chapter informative despite being a little disorganised. ‘Career planning’ is the best chapter in the book. It describes all the essentials for career planning and choosing a specialty. It also explains the difference between training and non-training posts as well as the different grades in each, information that the overseas doctor will need to understand before coming to the UK. The section about ‘General practice in the UK’ stresses the importance of this part of the healthcare system to the NHS and also the career opportunities for overseas doctors wishing to work in the UK as a GP. The pathways into UK general practice are well described, as are the different types of practices. However, the rest of the information is not detailed enough and the overseas doctor would be best advised to research other sources to gain a full understanding of general practice in the UK. In the chapter entitled ‘Essential paperwork’, the authors cover what the overseas doctor should practise while in a hospital post. It is written in a clear and simple way in order to guide them into what the British hospital system expects of them in contrast to what they may be more used to. Topics covered include the doctor–patient relationship, making and taking decisions, clinical record guidelines, referral letters, etc. ‘Examinations’ is another good chapter and includes many hints on how to prepare for an examination (especially the IELTS, PLAB and MRCS) with sound advice on ‘strategies before talent and luck’. It also gives the reader information on each membership examination, including cost, courses, what textbooks to read, pass rate and many other useful tips. ‘Hard times’ gives the reader an introduction to real life away from home, what to expect and how to face failing exams. It also tackles the very sensitive issue of racism and guides the overseas doctor on how to cope and deal with stress in many ways. The final chapter, ‘Living in Britain’, gives broad, general information on living in the UK. It explains about banking, tax, health and money issues, accommodation, transport and entertainment. However, it also contains some unnecessary and not very useful information. In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and were impressed with its content. This book will be invaluable reading for overseas doctors who already work or are considering working in Britain.