UCC Library and UCC researchers have made this item openly available. Please let us know how this has helped you. Thanks! Title Professional integration experiences of international medical graduates in Ireland and Canada Author(s) Kolawole, Olaniyi Ajibola Publication date 2017 Original citation Kolawole, O. A. 2017. Professional integration experiences of international medical graduates in Ireland and Canada. PhD Thesis, University College Cork. Type of publication Doctoral thesis Rights © 2017, Olaniyi Ajibola Kolawole. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Item downloaded http://hdl.handle.net/10468/4918 from Downloaded on 2021-10-11T12:01:37Z UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK Professional Integration Experiences of International Medical Graduates in Ireland and Canada A Doctoral Thesis Submitted to the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork By Olaniyi Ajibola Kolawole Student Number: 108220185 9/13/2017 Acknowledgement I am extremely fortunate to have carried out this study work at a university as collaborative as the University College Cork; therefore, there are many people to thank for their part in the success of this study. I would first like to thank my supervisors, Dr Jacqui O’Riordan and Dr Piaras MacEinri who without their rich insights and guidance, this work would most likely have been a lot difficult to complete. I am grateful for your guidance, the opportunities you have afforded me and support you gave me all through this journey. I am also grateful to Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan, the PhD Social Science coordinator, who, upon meeting me, believed in me, encouraged and supported me all the way. Thank you Siobhan. I would also like to thank Dr Kieran Keohane, Prof Cathal O’Connel, Dr Allen White, and Dr Karl Kitching for their contributions to this work. Over the years, each has given me superb guidance, many insightful suggestions and demonstrated a sincere interest in both my professional career and personal life. I say thank you. I also acknowledge the support of the staff of the School of Applied Social Studies and Department of Sociology in UCC. I must confess, I am fortunate to have such a group of intelligen, kind and ever- willing-to-assist people who are also student advocates in my life. This acknowledgement will not be complete if I do not mention my friend and coffee buddy, Maxwell Osonokwu, who listens to my tales of woes and winnings. Max, I say thank you for being there all the way. Also, thank you to my friends, Andrea and Mark Grantham, Emmanuel and Hannah Oladipupo, Michael Akinsanya (Holy Michael), John Slattery, John Moriarty, Tom and Kemi Simpson, Matthew and Vivian Erhabor, Charlot Beuglaar, Emmanuel Eze, and all my colleagues on the PhD Social Science 2010 Cohort. I also owe a lot of gratitude to my parents, Chief and Mrs Eniola Kolawole, My mothe-in-law, Mrs Eudia Tinuoye, my brothers and in sisters-in-law. Lastly and most importantly, I will like to thank my lovely wife, Remi Kolawole who is a dogged believer in my vision and abilities. Thank you for staying with me during this arduous, tortuous and lonely journey of getting a PhD thesis done. I really do appreciate. Honestly, without your support, I would not have been able to do it. Also, gratitude goes out to my children, Joshua, Judah, Joanna and Japheth who constantly endured my absences, crankiness when I am tired sadly and have to give up a lot of material comfort while I pursue this dream. I say thank you for standing by me and please know, we eventually did it! 1 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my father-in-law, late Chief Oye Tinuoye whose exemplary life taught me that with steadfastness and consistency, ones life golas can be achieved. Also, I dedicated this work to my wife, Remi, children: Joshua, Judah, Joanna and Japheth whose lives are a burning blaze to my heart. Lastly, I dedicate this work to all migrants who constantly have to fight for cultural, economic, political and social inclusion in the countries they have adopted as home. I say, "Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta"! 2 Abstract International migration of health professionals, specifically, doctors, especially from the technologically developing countries to developing ones is a phenomenon that is has received considerable attention from researchers, media and policy makers in the lately. This form of migration has sparked many questions both in the academia and world of policy making. It has been examined from the supply side and demand side. Many researchers documented the vacuum migration of doctors from developing countries creates both in terms of shortage of doctors to the subsequent effect on the healthcare provisions and developments of such nations. Other researchers have documented the immense contributions of migrant doctors to the healthcare provision and development of their host countries. Although, an aspect of doctor’s migration researched on and written is their migration from their native countries or countries of training, especially in Ireland, very little has been written on the integration of migrant doctors into the medical professional field or benchmarking their professional integration experiences with other countries that received large numbers of migrant doctors. Thus, this thesis asked the question, are our international medical graduates integrated into the medical professional field in Ireland. To answer this quest, an exploratory study of the professional integration of non- EU/EEA/Western trained doctors in Ireland was carried out. It then benchmarked their experiences with non-EU/EEA/Western medical professionals in Canada. It conducted both face-to-face and telephone interviews with 48 doctors and employer representatives. Using content analysis to analyse data gathered, the study found out that Ireland and Canada receive doctors from outside of the EU/EEA, however, they maintain systems that makes accessing and progressing arduous for doctors trained in specific geographical locations. Also, many doctors from outside of the EU/EEA are preferred to fill up positions that are hard to fill within the health systems of both countries. The thesis concluded on the note that even though, there are policies that aim at fair access and inclusion of minority ethnic groups, race, class and gender remain a basis for professional exclusion within the field of medicine in Ireland and Canada. To overcome this challenge for migrant doctors, the laws governing registration of these doctors must be changed. In-terms of monitoring and implementing inclusion policies and practices for the medical professions in the two countries, there must be proper mechanism put in place and adhered to. 3 Glossary of Terms Act An Act is a bill which has passed through the various legislative steps required for it and which has become law. African An African is a person who were born in Africa or live in Africa or trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa. Androcentricism A view dominated by or emphasizing masculine interests or a masculine point of view. Asian Asian is a person who was born or lived or descended from Asia. Asylum seekers Persons seeking to be recognised as convention refugees under the Geneva Convention 1951 Capitalism An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth. Carer An individual who is looking after a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). Class Refers to differences based on wealth, income, occupation, status, group identification, level of consumption, and family background. Colonisation To illegally and forcefully occupy other people's land, dominate them and send people to live there. Commodification To turn something with hitherto an intrinsic value into a commodity for the purpose of selling it for profit. Commonwealth A voluntary association of 52 independent and sovereign states. Most are former British colonies or dependencies of these colonies. No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others as is the case in a political union Credential Testimonials or certified documents showing that a person is entitled to credit or has a right to exercise official power or perform a job. Cultural capital Refers to high cultural knowledge that ultimately redounds to the owner's financial and social advantage. Culture The sum total of ideas, customs, practices and social behaviour of a particular profession within the society Discrimination The less favourable treatment of one person over another. Ethnicity Cultural practices and outlooks that distinguish a given community of people Exclusion When a group of people are effectively prevented from participating in the benefit of citizenship or membership of society owing to a number of barriers Gender Refers to the varied and complex arrangements between men and women, encompassing the organization of reproduction, the sexual divisions of labour and cultural definitions of femininity and masculinity. 4 Global Care Women supplying their own care labour while consuming other women’s care Chain labour. This can be paid or unpaid. Globalisation Globalisation is the term used to describe the increasing political, social and economic inter-connection of people and countries internationally. God-father A man who informally acts as an advisor or mentor to another person in a workplace. Immigrants People who permanently or semi-permanently take up residence in another country. Integration Integration refers to the ability of a person to participate fully in all aspect of the life of a community where they live. Interpretivism Interpretivism refers to the research paradigm which sees social research as not just gathering of facts and measurement of the frequency or pattern of certain occurrence(s), but the appreciation of different constructions and meanings that people place upon their experiences.