Training posts closed to many foreign doctors working here

Ireland’s reliance on international medical graduates is among the highest of the OECD countries: 34 per cent of doctors working in Ireland were trained overseas. Many of these foreign doctors are prohibited from accessing training posts vital to their career advancement under a change in the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, which took effect in 2011. Only doctors from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Sudan, South Africa (with an internship after 2006) and Pakistan (with an internship after 2008) can enter training jobs or specialisations. The remainder of non-EU doctors cannot apply for training jobs, which eventually lead to specialisation and consultancy, regardless of their...