Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Apr 19th 2011, 6:05 pm
#1
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Joined: Apr 2011
Location: England
Posts: 5
Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Hi Everyone
I will be qualifying as a general practitioner in England but once qualified I hope to move my family to the Dordogne area. Please could anyone help me in the following questions?
1. Will I be able to work as a GP in France if I have qualified in England?
2. How do I go about legally working as a GP or doctor in France?
3. Do I need to sit any exams or register with any government body if I am a qualified British GP?
I am so looking forward to moving to france but dont want to give up my medicine and would like to be useful to the French community so any help you could offer me I would be very grateful.
Kind regards
Karen Gallie
I will be qualifying as a general practitioner in England but once qualified I hope to move my family to the Dordogne area. Please could anyone help me in the following questions?
1. Will I be able to work as a GP in France if I have qualified in England?
2. How do I go about legally working as a GP or doctor in France?
3. Do I need to sit any exams or register with any government body if I am a qualified British GP?
I am so looking forward to moving to france but dont want to give up my medicine and would like to be useful to the French community so any help you could offer me I would be very grateful.
Kind regards
Karen Gallie
Apr 19th 2011, 6:25 pm
#2
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,551
Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Hi Everyone
I will be qualifying as a general practitioner in England but once qualified I hope to move my family to the Dordogne area. Please could anyone help me in the following questions?
1. Will I be able to work as a GP in France if I have qualified in England?
2. How do I go about legally working as a GP or doctor in France?
3. Do I need to sit any exams or register with any government body if I am a qualified British GP?
I am so looking forward to moving to france but dont want to give up my medicine and would like to be useful to the French community so any help you could offer me I would be very grateful.
Kind regards
Karen Gallie
I will be qualifying as a general practitioner in England but once qualified I hope to move my family to the Dordogne area. Please could anyone help me in the following questions?
1. Will I be able to work as a GP in France if I have qualified in England?
2. How do I go about legally working as a GP or doctor in France?
3. Do I need to sit any exams or register with any government body if I am a qualified British GP?
I am so looking forward to moving to france but dont want to give up my medicine and would like to be useful to the French community so any help you could offer me I would be very grateful.
Kind regards
Karen Gallie
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...king+as+doctor
This thread covered the subject not so long ago.....
If you get any issues give me a shout.
Apr 20th 2011, 8:18 am
#3
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Thank you. Will give it a look.
Still getting the hang of the site.
Karen
Still getting the hang of the site.
Karen
Apr 20th 2011, 1:40 pm
#4
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Posts: 445
Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
There is a dearth of doctors in many parts of France, especially in the outlying regions, so much so that the government is thinking of coercion to force young GPs to work outside the big cities. It's got a lot to do with the evolution of the job and the fact that women now make up the majority of GPs and therefore have to combine work and looking after kids.
I would have thought that the one issue you really have to look at seriously is language. Having had experience through my son with a Lebanese doctor who couldn't speak French to save his life, I realized how vital communication is in medicine. Any doctor that can't understand fully what a patient is saying is a waste of time and space, and may well be dangerous.
A French GP earns 23 euros per consultation. The length of same is up to him, or her. Many doctors complain that they don't earn much over the minimum wage. Many French doctors still do home visits and there is a rota system for weekend "gardes", when the GP can be called out at 3 o'clock on a Sunday morning. If you're working in a small place, your reputation and therefore your customer base will grow, or not, as the case may be, from your willingness to take on this kind of constraint. Over here the patient has freedom of choice, which he or she will exercise, even though the Sécurité Sociale is doing its best to get patients to register with just one GP.
You'd have to be registered with the equivalent of the BMA (compulsory) whose web site is http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr and should provide you with all the information you need, notably as regards the procedure enabling EU nationals to work as doctors in France.
You say you'd like to be of use to the French community, but it might be nice if you did a stint of a couple of years or so beforehand in the country that invested in educating you and training you to become a doctor......
I would have thought that the one issue you really have to look at seriously is language. Having had experience through my son with a Lebanese doctor who couldn't speak French to save his life, I realized how vital communication is in medicine. Any doctor that can't understand fully what a patient is saying is a waste of time and space, and may well be dangerous.
A French GP earns 23 euros per consultation. The length of same is up to him, or her. Many doctors complain that they don't earn much over the minimum wage. Many French doctors still do home visits and there is a rota system for weekend "gardes", when the GP can be called out at 3 o'clock on a Sunday morning. If you're working in a small place, your reputation and therefore your customer base will grow, or not, as the case may be, from your willingness to take on this kind of constraint. Over here the patient has freedom of choice, which he or she will exercise, even though the Sécurité Sociale is doing its best to get patients to register with just one GP.
You'd have to be registered with the equivalent of the BMA (compulsory) whose web site is http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr and should provide you with all the information you need, notably as regards the procedure enabling EU nationals to work as doctors in France.
You say you'd like to be of use to the French community, but it might be nice if you did a stint of a couple of years or so beforehand in the country that invested in educating you and training you to become a doctor......
Apr 20th 2011, 4:06 pm
#5
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Hi,
As mentioned, you should master French enough to pass whatever exams. are necessary in order to be registered here, but more importantly so that you and your future patients clearly understand each other! (not to mention cope with the French social security system).
Your family's welfare is another consideration to think about - women doctors with families have a hard life. They can limit their hours of work, but won't earn much and the family must rely on the father's income, or, like our G.P., they work long hours and barely see their children in the week. Depending on how many other G.P.s are in the area, at least a dozen Sundays and Public Holidays in the year are spent on call, which also disrupts family life. French women doctors manage, as they usually have the grandparents and family around....
From a practical point of view, you should check the situation in Dordogne - there's certainly a dearth of G.P.s in my part of rural Hérault, but there may not be many vacancies in such a popular region....
Hope this gives you food for thought!
As mentioned, you should master French enough to pass whatever exams. are necessary in order to be registered here, but more importantly so that you and your future patients clearly understand each other! (not to mention cope with the French social security system).
Your family's welfare is another consideration to think about - women doctors with families have a hard life. They can limit their hours of work, but won't earn much and the family must rely on the father's income, or, like our G.P., they work long hours and barely see their children in the week. Depending on how many other G.P.s are in the area, at least a dozen Sundays and Public Holidays in the year are spent on call, which also disrupts family life. French women doctors manage, as they usually have the grandparents and family around....
From a practical point of view, you should check the situation in Dordogne - there's certainly a dearth of G.P.s in my part of rural Hérault, but there may not be many vacancies in such a popular region....
Hope this gives you food for thought!
Apr 27th 2011, 10:48 pm
#6
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Joined: Apr 2011
Location: England
Posts: 5
Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Thank you. I am starting to get the picture that it is not going to be that easy. However Im determined and will give it a good go. As for working in the UK....well its about quality of life....probably exactly the reason why you live in france.
Thanks very much for your advice and information.
[/LIST]
Thanks very much for your advice and information.
[/LIST]There is a dearth of doctors in many parts of France, especially in the outlying regions, so much so that the government is thinking of coercion to force young GPs to work outside the big cities. It's got a lot to do with the evolution of the job and the fact that women now make up the majority of GPs and therefore have to combine work and looking after kids.
I would have thought that the one issue you really have to look at seriously is language. Having had experience through my son with a Lebanese doctor who couldn't speak French to save his life, I realized how vital communication is in medicine. Any doctor that can't understand fully what a patient is saying is a waste of time and space, and may well be dangerous.
A French GP earns 23 euros per consultation. The length of same is up to him, or her. Many doctors complain that they don't earn much over the minimum wage. Many French doctors still do home visits and there is a rota system for weekend "gardes", when the GP can be called out at 3 o'clock on a Sunday morning. If you're working in a small place, your reputation and therefore your customer base will grow, or not, as the case may be, from your willingness to take on this kind of constraint. Over here the patient has freedom of choice, which he or she will exercise, even though the Sécurité Sociale is doing its best to get patients to register with just one GP.
You'd have to be registered with the equivalent of the BMA (compulsory) whose web site is http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr and should provide you with all the information you need, notably as regards the procedure enabling EU nationals to work as doctors in France.
You say you'd like to be of use to the French community, but it might be nice if you did a stint of a couple of years or so beforehand in the country that invested in educating you and training you to become a doctor......
I would have thought that the one issue you really have to look at seriously is language. Having had experience through my son with a Lebanese doctor who couldn't speak French to save his life, I realized how vital communication is in medicine. Any doctor that can't understand fully what a patient is saying is a waste of time and space, and may well be dangerous.
A French GP earns 23 euros per consultation. The length of same is up to him, or her. Many doctors complain that they don't earn much over the minimum wage. Many French doctors still do home visits and there is a rota system for weekend "gardes", when the GP can be called out at 3 o'clock on a Sunday morning. If you're working in a small place, your reputation and therefore your customer base will grow, or not, as the case may be, from your willingness to take on this kind of constraint. Over here the patient has freedom of choice, which he or she will exercise, even though the Sécurité Sociale is doing its best to get patients to register with just one GP.
You'd have to be registered with the equivalent of the BMA (compulsory) whose web site is http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr and should provide you with all the information you need, notably as regards the procedure enabling EU nationals to work as doctors in France.
You say you'd like to be of use to the French community, but it might be nice if you did a stint of a couple of years or so beforehand in the country that invested in educating you and training you to become a doctor......
Apr 28th 2011, 7:35 am
#7
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Good luck, then! If your OH has a steady income, then you can choose your hours... But first, do all the necessary to register in order to be able to work here....
(btw, don't assume that we all came here for a better quality of life)
(btw, don't assume that we all came here for a better quality of life
)
Apr 28th 2011, 5:46 pm
#8
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Thanks again for your help.
Apr 28th 2011, 10:13 pm
#9
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
In certain aspects, the grass is less green in France (high unemployment, social problems, immigration problems,...) but it's green enough for me to live here forever more (maybe having a French OH and predominantly French daughters is a good reason for that!).
Apr 29th 2011, 12:27 pm
#10
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 28
Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Hi there, hope the following will be of some help regarding quality of life....
We moved to a mid-size community in Yvelines, west of Paris, 14 months ago. I had a job to come to (but got made redundant after arrival) and had worked in France for some time, with a good grasp of the language (but no vocab for day to day stuff, I soon discovered!!). Hubby had no job to go to and no French at all - wouldn't recommend this, by the way. It's not going to succeed for everyone...
Anyway, we have found that quality of life is definitely better... FOR US. Everyone's attitude and personal circumstances will affect their perceived change in quality of life. It took my husband the whole of the first year to settle in whilst I felt at home right away.
We can't seem to put our finger on why life is better here, although here are a few ideas: some things are cheaper, most we find are more expensive; less stress on a day to day basis? Maybe (unless you are dealing with French admin issues); we love the sense of close community we have here and never really experienced in the UK (but that depends on where you live).
As I'm writing this, whilst supposed to be working, it is confirming for me more and more that it is really your own determination to build a quality of life for yourself which counts. But i wouldn't go back!
Best of luck, D
We moved to a mid-size community in Yvelines, west of Paris, 14 months ago. I had a job to come to (but got made redundant after arrival) and had worked in France for some time, with a good grasp of the language (but no vocab for day to day stuff, I soon discovered!!). Hubby had no job to go to and no French at all - wouldn't recommend this, by the way. It's not going to succeed for everyone...
Anyway, we have found that quality of life is definitely better... FOR US. Everyone's attitude and personal circumstances will affect their perceived change in quality of life. It took my husband the whole of the first year to settle in whilst I felt at home right away.
We can't seem to put our finger on why life is better here, although here are a few ideas: some things are cheaper, most we find are more expensive; less stress on a day to day basis? Maybe (unless you are dealing with French admin issues); we love the sense of close community we have here and never really experienced in the UK (but that depends on where you live).
As I'm writing this, whilst supposed to be working, it is confirming for me more and more that it is really your own determination to build a quality of life for yourself which counts. But i wouldn't go back!
Best of luck, D
Apr 29th 2011, 4:51 pm
#11
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: 32 Gers ; Between Toulouse and Auch
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
I agree!
We are not sure why we like it more here but perhaps, despite many big setbacks and hubby still not having found premanent work here, we feel relaxed and at home here.
However I still believe life is what you make of it wherever you are; dont assume that moving will engender a miraculous change; but as an opportunity to be used and developed!
Good luck
We are not sure why we like it more here but perhaps, despite many big setbacks and hubby still not having found premanent work here, we feel relaxed and at home here.
However I still believe life is what you make of it wherever you are; dont assume that moving will engender a miraculous change; but as an opportunity to be used and developed!
Good luck
May 3rd 2011, 10:15 pm
#12
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Thank you D. I do appreciate your opinion. I just dont know why I want to leave the UK so much and why i think france is so much better.
I think that it is because I have lost my identity here. We are not allowed to display our britishness for fear of offending others, at least that is what society perceives. The quality of our food has been declining for years. Our schools fail to reach even basic learning in our children and it is an absolute fight to get out kids into a decent school. Working as a doctor and meeting so many people I have began to realise how people are so unhappy with life here. They have forgotten what real life is really about and I somehow think the french have always held onto to those valuable things such as community, our children, family etc.
I need to live in a community that cares for each other, cares about the welfare of others and enjoys being togethers. If it sounds idealistic i know but I just think that the UK is just not offering those fundamentals that contribute to the quality of life I am searching for. AND FRANCE HAS GREAT FOOD AND MUCH SUNNY WEATHER IN PARTS.
We shall see what happens. Thanks again for your experience.
Best wishes
Karen
I think that it is because I have lost my identity here. We are not allowed to display our britishness for fear of offending others, at least that is what society perceives. The quality of our food has been declining for years. Our schools fail to reach even basic learning in our children and it is an absolute fight to get out kids into a decent school. Working as a doctor and meeting so many people I have began to realise how people are so unhappy with life here. They have forgotten what real life is really about and I somehow think the french have always held onto to those valuable things such as community, our children, family etc.
I need to live in a community that cares for each other, cares about the welfare of others and enjoys being togethers. If it sounds idealistic i know but I just think that the UK is just not offering those fundamentals that contribute to the quality of life I am searching for. AND FRANCE HAS GREAT FOOD AND MUCH SUNNY WEATHER IN PARTS.
We shall see what happens. Thanks again for your experience.
Best wishes
Karen
Hi there, hope the following will be of some help regarding quality of life....
We moved to a mid-size community in Yvelines, west of Paris, 14 months ago. I had a job to come to (but got made redundant after arrival) and had worked in France for some time, with a good grasp of the language (but no vocab for day to day stuff, I soon discovered!!). Hubby had no job to go to and no French at all - wouldn't recommend this, by the way. It's not going to succeed for everyone...
Anyway, we have found that quality of life is definitely better... FOR US. Everyone's attitude and personal circumstances will affect their perceived change in quality of life. It took my husband the whole of the first year to settle in whilst I felt at home right away.
We can't seem to put our finger on why life is better here, although here are a few ideas: some things are cheaper, most we find are more expensive; less stress on a day to day basis? Maybe (unless you are dealing with French admin issues); we love the sense of close community we have here and never really experienced in the UK (but that depends on where you live).
As I'm writing this, whilst supposed to be working, it is confirming for me more and more that it is really your own determination to build a quality of life for yourself which counts. But i wouldn't go back!
Best of luck, D
We moved to a mid-size community in Yvelines, west of Paris, 14 months ago. I had a job to come to (but got made redundant after arrival) and had worked in France for some time, with a good grasp of the language (but no vocab for day to day stuff, I soon discovered!!). Hubby had no job to go to and no French at all - wouldn't recommend this, by the way. It's not going to succeed for everyone...
Anyway, we have found that quality of life is definitely better... FOR US. Everyone's attitude and personal circumstances will affect their perceived change in quality of life. It took my husband the whole of the first year to settle in whilst I felt at home right away.
We can't seem to put our finger on why life is better here, although here are a few ideas: some things are cheaper, most we find are more expensive; less stress on a day to day basis? Maybe (unless you are dealing with French admin issues); we love the sense of close community we have here and never really experienced in the UK (but that depends on where you live).
As I'm writing this, whilst supposed to be working, it is confirming for me more and more that it is really your own determination to build a quality of life for yourself which counts. But i wouldn't go back!
Best of luck, D
May 16th 2011, 9:47 pm
#13
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
Just wondering,
if someone is qualified in one EU country, such as Spain, can that proof then be taken to another EU country, such as Andorra?
Or does the notary and certification process have to be repeated for every country one wishes to apply for a job in?
if someone is qualified in one EU country, such as Spain, can that proof then be taken to another EU country, such as Andorra?
Or does the notary and certification process have to be repeated for every country one wishes to apply for a job in?
May 17th 2011, 6:13 am
#14
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,551
Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
UK http://www.gmc-uk.org/
France http://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr/
Last edited by Ka Ora!; May 17th 2011 at 6:15 am.
May 17th 2011, 10:44 am
#15
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Re: Working as a doctor in the Dordogne
also important to note that while qualifications might be recognised, they may not be able to be used as the language /culture might prevent it. My teaching qualification is reconised but I cannot use it as my french needs to be perfect to be a primary school teacher when language accuracy is paramount!