1. Which countries do you recruit from?
We advertise, participate in congresses and carry out recruitment activities in a number of European countries. Access to well-educated specialist doctors within the different countries varies from year to year and our strategy is to be present always in many countries simultaneously. So far we have recruited specialist doctors from Hungary, Poland, Spain, Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia and Lithuania.
2. Which medical specialities can you find?
Since we recruit from several European countries we can find candidates within all specialities. So far our assignments have included specialists within general medicine, psychiatry, paediatric psychiatry, radiology, pathology, internal medicine, nephrology, haematology, rheumatology, geriatrics, gynaecology, ophthalmology, urology, ear, nose and throat, oncology, anesthesia- and intensive care, surgery, dermatology and dentistry. We have also trained medical physiologists, pharmacists, nurses and psychologists.
3. Why do you train the doctors in Spain?
MediCarrera began by recruiting Spanish general practitioners and has a course centre outside Barcelona. The study results and the doctors' fast progress show that it is beneficial that the doctors do not study in their home towns. This means that the doctors do not have any commitments besides studying. As we recruit from several European countries the common language used during breaks and free time is the new language, which is advantageous compared to training doctors in their native countries.
In our experience it is best if the healthcare professionals have a solid basis in the Scandinavian language when they come to the new country. It is more difficult for the doctors to concentrate solely on the language when they are settling in a new country.
4. How long does it take before a doctor can be in place?
Within seven to ten months from the start of the project the healthcare professionals can be in place, depending on the size of the assignment.