hi guys:
i am a syrian graduate, i didn't use my real name because the information i will give are mostly negative and i was afraid people would not like me for that, so i just felt more at ease to write under a different name.

as for the situation in the UK ,it has never been good throughout the last 2 years but after the announcment of the new work permit rules on the 7th of March 2006, it's become extremely difficult if not imposiible for an overseas doctor to get a training job in the uk.

let me first explain the new rules, by applying the new rules if you are an overseas doctor (syrians are) then you have to obtain a work permit in order to be elligible to work in the uk as a trainnee doctor, and in order to obtain a work permit the employing trust which will apply for one on your behalf , has to proove that there are no other uk or eu (european union) graduates willing to take the same post you are applying for, in which case they will definitely be given a preference over you, and since the uk graduates have increased dramatically durign the last couple of years(after opening 5 new medical schools in 2001) and are continuing to increase the chances are less, let alone the european doctors who dont have to pass any exams except ,IELTS which has been introduced very recently and just for those whose medical schools dont teach in english, ,to be elligible to work in the uk..... some people said that more than 50% of polish graduates are coming to UK because they have nothing to loose and they don't have to pass any exams and yet they are given a preference over all overseas doctors including us ofcourse (syrians)....in applying the new rules you won't be selected for a job if uk or european doctors applied for the same job no matter what qualifications you have, and beleive me PLAB in this day and age is nothing, people with MRCP and other royal college exams, audits, presentations, merits, awards, everything you can think of are not being selected just becasue they dont have a british nationality to put it blankly...but what if there are no uk or european doctors appliying for a certain job, here comes the mesery , because in this situation you have to compete with the rest of the overseas doctors the majority of whom have outstanding qualifications because they have been in the uk jobless for a long time after passing PLAB2, so they most probably passed a couple of royal college exams and did some attachments, audits and presentations, and some of them have also experience from their home countries and have many achievments done back in their countries, but even people with all these qualifications can be turned down if someone with an HSMP (highly skilled migrants programme) visa showed up, because the latter does not need a work permit, and he will be given a preference among the overseas doctors becasue if you can work without a work permit then the trust doesnt have to apply for one, which save money and time for the trust so they will be more likely to take you. now how to obtain an HSMP, ?iam not very sure of the requirments but i think you should have 2 years experience with respected salary...and some additional achievments or degrees that can give you additional points, having said that even people with HSMP are not guaranteed finding a job, because there are many categories of people that are given a preference over them namely (UK, EU, Spouses of British nationals, refugee doctors....)...so in short if you are hard working and want to specialise in a good place UK is a bad option currently, because the situation is in a very very big mess, and many knee jerk reactions have been taken including the work permit to limit the influx of overseas doctors and secure training posts for the uk graduates who at some points found themselves unemployed, and their places were taken by overseas doctors the fact that urged the government to take some quick decisions to limit the influx of overseas doctors (who passed the plab which is a fairly easy exam just 60% is enough to pass, you can imagine how many indians have passed), of which the work permit rules are a very good example....i think uk is currently flooded with juniour doctors that are really not very much needed, seniour doctors are the ones that are really needed..coming to the uk now is a sheer gambling you might be successful and you might be not but bear in mind that as i see it the chances for the latter are much higher than the former so even a smart gambler (of course no gambler is good) would not put his money on a loosing horse.....in the end it's your decision and i'm open to questions........i just wrote this post to make the picture clearer to those who don't know any information about the prospects here, because it's reallly a heart breaking to come here pass the plab and spend your father's hard earned money on accommodation and attachments only to find yourself unemployed with a fierce competition that you don't stand a good chance in wining not because you are not hard working enough but simply because the rules are against you and there is no fairness whatsoever in selecting the doctors...please forgive me if i caused any disappointment for anybody reading my post but i hope i succeeded in clarifying the situation as it stands currently....i can't comment on the us and the usmles, because i have never been there but at least obtaining 99% would give you some preference among the overseas doctors....and all the europeans have to take the usmles as well...so it's somewhat more fair than the uk....all the best for all syrians.

Thank you syrian
But what are you doing in UK? an such a situation

God bless you