“It was difficult for me at the beginning. I was trying to find websites for support, but I was unable to make a good search,” says Juhina, a doctor who is originally from Syria.
Juhina was an emergency department medic living in Saudi Arabia until 2023, when a change in circumstances meant she had to seek asylum in the UK.
She dreamed of resuming her career as a doctor. But, to do this, she needed to pass the Occupation English Test (OET) and register with the General Medical Council. This was far from straightforward, and at first she struggled to find the support she needed.
“I found only one organisation offering help, which was in Lincolnshire. I didn’t know there were many others in the UK. Then, one day, I was looking at the GMC website, and I saw that they were talking about RefuAid. So, I sent them a message.
I received a call from Madiha [Senior Language Programme Caseworker] and she started to ask me questions about my preparation for the OET. I was surprised when she started to call me, she cared about me.”
Madiha advised Juhina to take general English classes before attempting the OET, which she did for five months.
“RefuAid then supported me with an intensive course for the OET. After that I went for the exam and passed. It was like I woke up from a nightmare, because OET was a big problem for me,” Juhina explains.
She began to work towards her Professional and Linguistic Board 1 (PLAB 1) exam, the first of two exams needed to register with the GMC. However, at the same time, Juhina found herself with nowhere to live. Her case worker helped her arrange safe accommodation.
After Juhina passed PLAB 1, the team connected her with an independent healthcare provider, an “employer who was trying to hire people in my situation, on their journey to finish PLAB 2,” she says.
Juhina secured a position as a senior healthcare assistant. She is enjoying working in a medical setting again.
“I am doing phlebotomy, ECG, and general physical examinations for people who are trying to make pre-employment assessments or for medical forms required for visa applications,” she adds.
“This experience will also help me to apply for jobs in the future. If you are working in the UK, it gives you good experience and makes your CV stronger.
“Once I pass PLAB 2, I dream of working for the NHS. Even if it is not as a doctor, but as a healthcare assistant, I want to work in the emergency department. After that, I want to enter a programme to gain a speciality because I feel I haven’t achieved my dream in medicine if I don’t have a speciality.”
For Juhina, gaining support from the language programme was life changing. “This support was really important because it broke the psychological barrier that was in front of me. I went to a good English school – I wasn’t able to pay for school myself – this improved my listening skills,” she says.
“I started to meet people every day and to listen to them. It is not the same when you are at home trying to study. I can understand people better than before. I can understand patients when they come to me.”
At a time when Juhina had no networks to rely on, the language and re-accreditation case workers gave her the support that she needed.
“And Bea [Senior Re-accreditation Caseworker] supported me with a laptop and was always ready to answer any questions. RefuAid also gave me a loan, which helped me to have a home, my own bed, to feel safe.”
