Community welcome
A community who provides a warm welcome to an overseas trained doctor (OTD) is much more likely to keep that doctor for the long haul. Encouraging the community to be actively involved may be key to attracting and maintaining medical services in your community.
OTDs are typically required to work in Areas of Need, often in rural or remote areas. The social impact on a person used to very different circumstances can be overwhelming. Doctors who have not felt fully accepted by the community in which they work are likely to suffer a greater sense of isolation and homesickness.
Establishing a solid social support network for your doctor will positively affect the way in which he or she feels about your community. This should also provide a good foundation on which to build strong relationships and trust between doctor and community. Some of the responsibilities and activities for such a network might include:
- Assigning people to act as social mentors. These people would be responsible for introducing the doctor into the community, providing a source of advice and friendship. Having at least a couple of mentors will spread the responsibility in the community and give the doctor options when seeking advice. If the doctor has family, remember that it can be difficult for them to make new friends too. Make sure that they are also factored into your social mentoring programme. Perhaps the local school could be encouraged to participate in a mentoring programme of their own for the children.
- Providing a welcome pack on the doctor's arrival. A welcome pack could contain local information such as taxis, bank locations and opening times, libraries, schools, churches, late night shopping hours, rubbish collection times, restaurants and takeaway menus, a local calendar of events with contact details, local social or professional groups that they could join (e.g. book clubs, sporting clubs, hobby groups, business groups) and so on. Local businesses might be willing to donate complimentary tickets to some local event/restaurant/movies, discount vouchers, etc. And, of course, a welcome basket of local produce (something for which area is well known), or even some homemade goodies or just a few basic groceries to get them started would always get a positive response and make them feel welcome. The only limit is your imagination!
- Organising a welcoming event. Provide opportunities early on for the doctor to meet people and form friendships. Invite and involve them in local events. Help them to set up a social network that meets their interests and needs.