International prospects and potential hurdles for overseas healthcare experts
Foreign medical professionals aiming to integrate into the healthcare system in Ingolstadt, Germany, have received valuable guidance at a joint information event organised by the City of Ingolstadt and Ingolstadt Hospital.
The purpose of the event was threefold: to present perspectives and development opportunities, support professional integration in the medical field, and strengthen ties to the region. The event aimed to specifically support professional integration for migrants with foreign qualifications.
Key steps and resources for integration were discussed at the event. Professionals must undergo an official recognition process (state recognition) to have their foreign academic degrees evaluated and approved in Germany, validating their qualifications for medical practice. Understanding German labor laws related to medical employment contracts, including possibilities for open-ended contracts, is also crucial.
Ingolstadt Hospital and associated medical practices offer positions with full- or part-time options, modern technical infrastructure, and support structures such as relief from administrative duties and flexible working hours. The event provided information about German language requirements and access to integration courses tailored to medical professionals.
Networking and further training were also emphasised. The event facilitated connections with local employers, professional networks, and research centres, enhancing professional development and integration into the local healthcare ecosystem. Workshops and talks on labor law, employment contracts, and career planning were valuable resources for foreign medical professionals transitioning into the German system.
The event was part of the "Dein Einsatz" project, which deploys newly arrived individuals with medical knowledge as voluntary helpers. Dr. Monika Harsch, project management medicine, gave a presentation and tour of the hospital, while Dr. Andreas Tiete, CEO of Medicine, Nursing, and Information Technology, Medical Director, Ingolstadt Hospital, emphasised the importance of integrating international professionals for maintaining and further developing medical care.
Exchanging experiences with already active international professionals and networking with others in the recognition process can provide valuable support in overcoming challenges and facilitating integration into the healthcare system. The participants, migrants with foreign qualifications in the medical field, registered as volunteers for the Sanitätsdienst with Ingolstadter Hilfsorganisationen.
Milosh Gjelikj, who has completed the medical recognition process, shared information about the process during the event. Dr. Stephan Steger, the director of the clinic for acute and emergency medicine, and Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Palm, the director of the center for orthopedics and trauma surgery, were available for questions.
The organisers, including Andreas Michel, head of the health region plus business office at the health department, Barbara Blumenwitz, integration guide at the social affairs office, and Ingolstadt Hospital, were pleased to have contributed to the integration of foreign doctors and medical professionals into the healthcare system and to have further strengthened medical care in the region through this event.
Linda Qasem, MiMi coordinator at the Network for Work and Social Affairs (NefAS e.V.), provided information about the German healthcare system. The event was held at the Ärztehaus am Klinikum in Ingolstadt and aimed to continue the exchange and networking for interested parties within the framework of the "Dein Einsatz" project. Both doctors emphasised the importance of foreign professionals in healthcare and the synergies achieved through multilingual treatment.
[1] Source: Ingolstadt Hospital [2] Source: Dein Einsatz [3] Source: NefAS e.V.
- For foreign medical professionals looking to integrate into the healthcare system in Ingolstadt, science-based integration courses tailored to medical professionals are available to help them understand the German language and labor laws.
- Networking opportunities and professional development workshops, such as those provided during the "Dein Einsatz" project event, can help medical professionals with foreign qualifications strengthen ties to the region and navigate the medical-conditions sector in Germany, contributing to health-and-wellness advances.