The Jewish people are a nomadic folk, and many of us have friends or relatives who have moved countries. Much of that is due to aliyah, and among the considerations when contemplating moving to Israel is potential employment. Certain professions are trickier than others, such as medicine, law or education, where standards and systems can vary widely between countries. There’s also the language barrier: Even if your credentials are recognized, or you are successful in re-training, will you be able to communicate with potential patients, clients or students?
When I studied and lived abroad this topic often arose. I’ve had friends who needed to retrain as doctors; or others who worked as lawyers for US firms but couldn’t sign any documents as they were not recognized by the bar in the state where their US firm was based.
The issue has now come to Denver, where doctors trained abroad are finding it difficult to be recognized.
Re-accreditation can be cost prohibitive and time consuming, and simply not an option for a recent immigrant who needs to support a family and acclimatize to a new culture, not to mention, often, a new language.
At the same time, the labor shortage in the medical field is acute. Making use of these trained professionals seems like a no-brainer. Colorado Democrats are asking a task force to recommend ways to make this possible.
As long as the same medical standards are met, this seems eminently sensible.
The harder part may be the “soft” skills; for example, doctor-patient communication or doctor-patient confidentiality. These can vary widely according to cultural norms. The Colorado Medical Board, which will have ultimate approval, should make such “soft skill” trainings a core part of accreditation.
My concern with the draft legislation is that it may include a requirement for international graduates to work in underserved areas of the state. I understand the impulse, but it sounds a little like involuntary servitude (though many doctors would say that’s exactly what residency is!).
Especially if this requirement is only applied to one group — immigrants — it’s hard to see how this wouldn’t be discriminatory.
Due to the insecurity of their status, immigrants are often loathe to “make a fuss.” To dangle a person’s ability to work in their chosen field by requiring them to work in certain areas seems coercive. I urge the legislators drafting this bill not to include that proviso.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
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