Hi, my name is Moloy, and I am an IMG from India. I landed in the UK in Dec 2022, in the middle of the winter and from there I have been navigating my way through, understanding the system and trying to find my own path. Writing this blog, I would like to guide new IMG’s and help them settle into the new system with the little wisdom that I have gained in the past one and a half year
Prologue:
Before starting , I would like to say a little bit about myself so that it would help to relate with someone in a similar situation. This is the first time I have ever stepped outside of my country, and coming from a lower middle class family, with little support in terms of career progression,having a wife and a kid, it was a tough decision for me to leave everything behind, use every last bit of savings and come to a new place to “Start again”.
First Job:
Most of you will definitely have an offer letter before you have left India, and it is definitely very exciting and a feeling of pride and accomplishment. It involves so many plans, career opportunities, googling all beautiful places , sharing the excitement with friends and relatives..and yes it is an awesome feeling. But in the midst of all the excitement ,I would advise to make a structured plan in relation to:
i) Finances
ii) Travelling solo/with family
iii) Accommodation (Hospital/renting)
iv) Any friends/ relatives that can help during the initial period after arrival; trust me , you will need help
v) Workplace environment.
Initial milestones:
I say “milestones” because they actually are very important. I am narrating exclusively based on my experience, and might vary from place to place.
As I mentioned , I landed in the middle of winter and it can be very harsh for someone not accustomed to such severe cold weather. So plan your journey accordingly whether you will be arriving in summer or winter. You can get all winter clothes and accessories here but be mindful of your initial budget, as there will be a lot of other expenses.
Bank account/ BRP/ Sim Card:
The sooner you get these three things sorted, the easier it gets. There are online banking options like “Monzo” and are really good, but for banking societies, you might need to provide them with some documents for which your colleagues and your HR department can help and I would advise starting as soon as you arrive at your workplace.
Accommodation:
I would like to discuss this as a separate heading , as it takes a lot of work, especially if you are travelling with family. Family accommodation may not be available in all trust and I would advise to discuss accommodation even before leaving India. Most trusts will provide accommodation for a few months, so it's wise to search for a place to rent early, as unlike back home where you can rent a place in a couple of days, it's not possible in the UK.
Finding the right place near your job/place you prefer to stay, getting viewing slots, understanding the council tax bands, providing documents from your employer and also your background check, setting up your gas/electricity bills etc, it's a lot of work and needs time and also might impact your initial budget plus if you have started your job, you will need to adjust your schedule accordingly which from my personal experience might be a bit difficult sometimes.
Into the NHS:
Well, once you have arrived , and start your work, you will be surprised by the work culture of the NHS. It also depends at what stage of your career you are starting, and my narrative will be mostly relating to those who have already completed their post graduate training in their home country. I would like to quote Steve Jobs here where he mentions “you can only connect the dots looking backwards”.
I find myself wise enough to say that the work culture of the NHS is “very different , patient oriented, evidence based, guided by guidelines , all inclusive, and demanding.” I say this because, I have worked in all different sectors in my country, from a very basic primary health care to a high end tertiary care hospital, various govt. and semi govt. institutions , but have never come across such a work environment and if I connect the dots,I would say, in each and every place I worked, the experience gained , is helping me to adjust in my workplace.
I cannot describe working in the NHS in any specific way, but I would say it involves how adaptable you are, how willing you are to change your attitude towards learning new things, new ways and be polite, gentle and professional at the same time. It depends a lot outside our textbook knowledge( which I am sure we all have a lot, as our training is done in that way) but I would say you will need more than that.
Life outside of work:
Yes, it exists. Back home where it was a luxury, spending quality time with friends , family and relatives is possible here because of the structure of the rota, which is more or less similar across most of the trusts. Depending on which career path you choose, resources and guidance are available to assist you alongside your colleagues and in my experience, are genuinely kind and willing to help. During the initial period, a lot of things will be happening simultaneously and so what I feel is that if you are aware of these major, minor issues even before arriving here, it gives an added advantage.
Blending in:
Every new place has its own culture, habits and way of life. Understanding and adapting to it may take some time, but with time slowly imbibing a few new rituals can help in the long run.
Conclusion:
To conclude, I would like to say that settling in a new place or rather any place is a continuous process where we learn, adapt and also adopt certain new habits and a way of life. I am still learning, making new plans everyday and moving forward in anticipation. In this journey, you will need support from everyone both here and back home and at anytime if “life gives you lemons, just make a lemonade”.
Best wishes
Moloy Rajkhowa
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