Bianca, thanks so much for sharing your story with us! I’ve heard so many people speak about the prospects of going to work in Ireland and their apparent willingness to welcome South African doctors into their country. I am super excited to find out from you what the real story behind the story is.
Q) Let’s get right into the juicy stuff – where did the inspiration to go work in Ireland come from?
A) The idea was sparked three years ago when my sister and I went to travel around the south of Ireland. I just found the country magnificent. The people are so nice and the scenery there looks as if it has come from the pages of a fairy tale. I just knew then that I would have to go back there and enjoy it for a little while longer, or even forever. I completely fell in love with the country. I then started doing my research on how to get a job in Ireland and what the requirements are. I wish I had started the process of registration at that point…
Q) I guess that means it was quite a lengthy exercise. Can you take us through the process, requirements, and costs, from the moment one decides to go work in Ireland, to where you actually get on the plane? How long would this all take someone starting from scratch?
A) Before you register with the Irish Medical Council (IMC) you need to make a profile with Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC). This is a company that verifies your details for the IMC. They verify your ID, passport and all degrees/diplomas. You end up paying them about R5000 to do this. The next step is actually going on the IMC website and applying for registration there. After you have filled in basically your whole family history and blood group (I’m kidding, but it definitely feels like that) you need to pay for registration, this is about R 9700. You will also have to contact the HPCSA for your internship duty certificate and certificate of good standing/status (COS). This will be an additional +-R2000. Unfortunately, the COS expires every three months, so you have to send an updated one to the IMC which means an additional R1000 out of your pocket every three months until you are fully registered. You also have to write your OET which is about R6700 in addition to all other registration fees. You can just google OET and book via the site. You must then courier proof of your Occupational English Test (OET) results and a certified copy of your ID to the council in Dublin (at an additional R850).
So this is the process in chronological order for those of you who, like me, enjoy lists:
● EPIC registration and verification (+- R5 000)
● IMC registration and payment (+- R9 700)
● HPCSA: COS, internship duty certificate (required for EPIC as well) (+- R2 000)
● OET exam (+- R6 700)
● Courier exam results and ID (+- R850)
After all this, the IMC will keep you updated with your application – which basically entails sending you an e-mail once every three months if you call and harass them a lot. If/when you get to the last step you need to pay an additional R10 000 for your yearly registration. Then, you will finally be registered about one month after paying the fees.
Q) That sounds insane! I can’t imagine it was a pleasant experience altogether.
A) To be truly honest, this was a very frustrating process. It was nine months of constant emails and phone calls with no answer. Constant payments and a flow of money into something that you don’t even know will pull through in the end. You need to have a lot of patience, and start the process well in advance.
Q) Looking back at your application and planning processes, what do you believe could’ve been done differently to save time/effort/money?
A) I should have started the process when I first had the thought of going to Ireland. It would not necessarily have saved me any money, but definitely my sanity, stress-levels and tears over the past couple of months. I wish that I could have spared myself that. It’s very frustrating waiting for something you really need but can’t do anything to speed up the process. I did have the most
amazing past six months in Cape Town though, and would not change that experience for anything.
Q) So, what will your Ireland experience entail? Where will you work, and for how long?
A) I secured a job in the Emergency Department at Limerick University Hospital in December 2020 but this is only a 6-month contract. I will only be moving to Ireland at the beginning of August 2021 because the registration process took so long. Luckily, I currently don’t have any dependants, so I have no idea for how long I will be staying there or if I will perhaps move somewhere else thereafter. The opportunities are endless. I don’t want to make any permanent decisions on what could be a temporary feeling.
Q) Would you recommend any particular Diplomas or courses that could potentially increase your probability of being accepted to work in Ireland?
A) The one thing I did not know beforehand, is that South Africans are known for their Emergency/Trauma experience, and that is what Ireland wants. They do not necessarily want dermatologists, paediatricians or surgeons. They want EC doctors. They readily recruit SA doctors in the trauma units across Ireland. You can get in quite easily with simply basic EC experience from com-serve. If you did not do EC work in com-serve and were working in a specific speciality, you’ll probably find greater difficulty in getting a job.
I was told by the recruiters that you need to get an EC job as a SA doctor, because once you are working at a hospital in Ireland it is then easier to switch to a different department after your six or twelve-month contract finishes. We will see how “easy” it is in six months folks, I’ll keep you updated!
Q) What excites you most about this opportunity and Ireland as a whole?
A) I think this will be the first thing/move that I will be making completely for myself. As doctors, we are so caught up in the internship and com-serve process that we have so much anxiety about making decisions regarding our career when that support is taken away. This becomes so evident when you leave com-serve and every choice you make with regards to your career, is on you. I am excited about this though because it feels like I’m finally following my own dreams. I am putting myself and what I want first. I am most excited about being able to travel more frequently and being able to explore and experience different cultures.
Q) Many doctors have a dream to go work overseas after they finish com-serve. What would your advice be to someone who is looking at following this dream but has no idea where to start?
A) Speak to someone that has done it or has already made that move. Get to know what the negatives and positives are regarding the whole process. Start the process sooner rather than later!! You can always stay on longer before leaving, but it is frustrating to have to wait for something if it’s really what you want to do.
If you are thinking about it, do it! There will never be a perfect time or opportunity. You just need to dive into the process and go for it.
