Dataset Information

Supporting international medical graduates' transition to their host-country: realist synthesis.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Many health services and systems rely on the contribution of international medical graduates (IMGs) to the workforce. However, concern has grown around their regulation and professional practice. There is a need, in the absence of strong evidence and a robust theoretical base, for a deeper understanding of the efficacy of interventions used to support IMGs' transition to their host countries. This study seeks to explore and synthesise evidence relating to interventions developed for IMGs. It aims to provide educators and policy makers with an understanding of how interventions should be developed to support IMGs in their transition to the workplace, particularly looking to identify how and why they are effective.

Methods

The realist synthesis involved an initial systematic search of the literature for the period January 1990 to April 2015. Secondary searches were conducted throughout the review in order to inform and test the developing programme theory. The context, mechanism and outcome data were extracted from all sources meeting the inclusion criteria. Fourteen case studies were included to further aid theory refinement.

Results

Sixty-two articles were identified, describing diverse interventions of varying intensity. A further 26 articles were identified through a secondary search. The findings illustrate that, alongside a developed programme, ongoing support and cultural awareness at organisational and training levels are crucial. Individual differences must also be taken into consideration. This will ensure that IMGs engage in transformative learning, increase their levels of self-efficacy and cultural health capital, and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. These factors will have an impact on work, interactions and cultural adjustment.

Conclusions

Organisational, training and individual contexts all play a role in IMGs' adjustment during the transition process. Establishing ongoing support is critical. A list of recommendations for implementation is given.

SUBMITTER: Kehoe A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5113661 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Supporting international medical graduates' transition to their host-country: realist synthesis.

Kehoe Amelia A McLachlan John J Metcalf Jane J Forrest Simon S Carter Madeline M Illing Jan J

Medical education 20161001 10

<h4>Context</h4>Many health services and systems rely on the contribution of international medical graduates (IMGs) to the workforce. However, concern has grown around their regulation and professional practice. There is a need, in the absence of strong evidence and a robust theoretical base, for a deeper understanding of the efficacy of interventions used to support IMGs' transition to their host countries. This study seeks to explore and synthesise evidence relating to interventions developed ...[more]

PMID: 27628719

Similar Datasets

Project description:With limited residency positions, the majority of international medical graduates living in Canada and other developed countries cannot work as physicians. The educational experience and career development of unmatched international medical graduates (those who are not matched to a residency position) residing in Canada have never been studied. Through an innovative collaboration of provincial international medical graduate organizations, we launched an online survey targeting the career development of unmatched international medical graduates, with 356 survey responses entering data analysis. Respondents reported that at the early career planning stage, close to a third had not had adequate knowledge of their career prospects in Canada. Although official resources are available, most respondents found that the information did not match well with reality. After arriving in Canada, educational resources for unmatched international medical graduates are scarce. The majority of them work in healthcare-related fields but reported significant difficulties finding these positions, and there were limited career training opportunities. Among respondents who were no longer pursuing residency positions and had moved on to alternate career paths, we found, unexpectedly, that 69% of them reported previous residency application experience did not contribute to their current occupation, and most were not satisfied with their current career status and continuing education opportunities. In conclusion, the unmatched international medical graduates could serve as a vital reservoir of skilled medical professionals to serve the community, especially during public health crises. Continuing education and career support of unmatched international medical graduates are crucial for their career development and should be an area of priority for policymakers. Career support, especially for alternative career paths, can be built on the current services that exist in most provinces in Canada. In addition, novel online and social media tools can be utilized to increase the outreach of these programs.

Dataset Information

Supporting international medical graduates' transition to their host-country: realist synthesis.

Context

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Supporting international medical graduates' transition to their host-country: realist synthesis.

Similar Datasets

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