Newsletter sign up Support for refugees Donate
Someone pointing to a piece of paper on a desk
Story

Sundus’ Story

After a five-year clinical gap, Sundus has secured her first paid role in the NHS thanks to support from the Language and Re-accreditation teams.

Author:

Breaking Barriers
Share this

“I came to the UK in 2019. The path was not easy, but it was an experience. And we always learn from our experiences,” says Sundus, a doctor from Pakistan.   

Sundus, a survivor of domestic abuse who spent her first years in the UK living in a refuge, was determined to resume her career in medicine. With no friends and family around her, support networks provided by charity organisations became her lifeline.  

“I met a lovely person who was my case worker. She asked me what I wanted to do in my career, in my life. I told her that I am a doctor, I need to do some exams,” explains Sundus.  The case worker connected Sundus with RefuAid’s Language and Re-accreditation programme, which is now part of Breaking Barriers.

“They were really kind to me,” she says.  

Dr Sundus

Passing the OET

The team at RefuAid’s Language and Re-accreditation Programmes told Sundus that they could support her in a range of ways. This included providing help with preparing and financing the Occupational English Test (OET), which is required for registering with the General Medical Council (GMC).  

“I did some language courses for OET, which were actually very expensive, but I got them free through RefuAid. They also helped me with the exam fee. It was such a help at that time, I really needed it to be honest. I had no money; I couldn’t afford these hefty courses and the fees. 

“The courses really helped me, and the teachers were really nice. I got some extra help from the tutors, because I was a keen student. Getting the OET was really important because it was the only step that I was struggling with. Speaking English was not a problem because we used to speak it in Pakistan. But the reading part of the OET, part c, was a problem. There were two paragraphs, and I used to fail with one mark. It was my fifth attempt when I passed it, thanks to RefuAid. 

After five years of a clinical gap, this is my first job. I am loving it. I am feeling great. It is like living a dream. Working in a hospital, getting to know the consultants, doing something for the patients, which I always enjoy doing.

Sundus

Gaining Re-accreditation

“After that, Bex [Healthcare Partnership Lead] became my new case worker. She told me about the loans that she could provide. And she told me she could support me if I needed any other support, including emotional support or whatever I was struggling with. And she did. Whenever I spoke to her, I always felt good. I always tell her that ‘Bex, whenever I speak to you, I always get good news’.” 

RefuAid also offered Sundus support through an interest-free loans scheme, which it continues to run. Through this programme, Sundus received loans to pay for preparation courses for the PLAB 1 and 2 exams, which are needed for GMC registration.  

“Bex made everything so easy for me. The filling of the forms and everything. She was always there. My words won’t be sufficient to be honest, to describe how she helped.  

“My GMC registration was a task as well, but she also helped me with that. She wrote several emails to the GMC for me. She got me enrolled on an eight-week clinical course with the Crisis Rescue Foundation medical school programme. It was a good addition to my CV, and I was very happy to attend that. Bex’s support meant a lot. Whenever I encounter any issue, I email her straight away. She is like an angel for me, and she is always there for me.  

“After that I got a clinical attachment at Guy’s St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, which was a stepping stone to get to a career. I worked as a clinical attachment junior doctor for four weeks, in paediatric cardiology. Obviously, that was my first job in the UK, it was unpaid work, but it counts for a lot. I believe this played a huge role in securing my current role.  

“I am working in a hospital in Northampton, as a Resident doctor in clinical psychiatry. The interview was on the same day I had my citizenship ceremony. After five years of a clinical gap, this is my first job. I am loving it. I am feeling great. It is like living a dream. Working in a hospital, getting to know the consultants, doing something for the patients, which I always enjoy doing. I would like to do my speciality in renal medicine or psychiatry.  

“It really helps when you get the right support and the person who responds to your emails does it responsibly. I think Bex did it with love, care and responsibility. That’s why it helped me.” 

Learn more about