বাংলাদেশী ডাক্তারদের কানাডাতে চাকুরির ব্যাপারে কিছু তথ্য

নিচের তথ্যগুলি যদিও কানাডাতে অবস্থানররত বাংলাদেশী মেডিকেল ডাক্তারদের জন্য তথাপি যে সমস্ত ডাক্তার বাংলাদেশের থেকে এখানে ইমিগ্র্যান্ট হয়ে আসতে চান তাদের জন্যও প্রযোজ্য। আপনি তথ্যগুলি জেনে সিদ্ধান্ত নিলে আপনার এখানে এসে অবাক হতে হবে না। আর যারা already এখানে এসে গেছেন, নতুন বা একটু পুরাতন এবং প্রফেশনাল চাকরি পেতে হিমশিম খাচ্ছেন তাদের জন্য কিছুটা কাজে লাগবে আশা করি। এই বিষয়ে গত রবিবারে আমি, আমার এক ডাক্তার বনধু এবং BIES-র মোস্তফা ভাই সহ বাংলাদেশী কিছু ডাক্তারদেড় নিয়ে একটি আলোচনার আয়োজন করেছিলাম। সেখানে কিছু ইনফরমেশন সমন্ধে কথা বলেছিলাম, যেগুলি ইমেইলে উপস্থিত ভাই বোনদের কাছে পাঠিয়ে দেওয়া হয়। অনেকের কাছে তথ্যগুলি অনেক প্রয়জনীয় তাই ভাবলাম এই ব্লগে পোস্ট করে দিলে হয়তো আরো কিছু লোক জানতে পারবেন। লেখাটি ইংরেজিতে লেখা এবং সেটা অনুবাদ করার সময় আমার কাছে আপাতত নেই তাই সেগুলি ইংরেজি থেকেই কপি পেস্ট করে দিলাম।

আর এই ব্লগে দেওয়ার আর একটি কারণ হস্ছে এটা আর্কাইভে থাকবে তাই যখন প্রয়জন হবে দেখে নেওয়া যাবে কিন্তু BCCB বা অন্য FBর group সাইটে সমস্যা হলো তথ্যগুলি পরবর্তীতে দেখতে হলে পাওয়া বড়ো কঠিন কারণ এটা অসংখ লেখার ভিড়ে হারিয়ে যাবে।
বলে নেওয়া ভালো যে লেখাটি একটি ইমেইল এর মাধ্যমে পাঠানো তাই আমি পুরো ইমেইলটিই পেস্ট করে দিলাম। কারো কাছে যদি এবিষয়ে আরো কোনো তথ্য থেকে থাকে এবং কোথাও কোনো সংশোধনের দরকার থাকে তাহলে দয়া করে এই ব্লগের কমেন্ট এ গিয়ে আমাদেরকে জানান।
মোট কথা আমাদের দেশের এই সমস্ত পোটেনশিয়াল ইম্মিগ্রান্টদের এদেশে দরকার আছে, সরকারের সুনিদৃষ্ট এবং কার্যকরী কোনো নীতি না থাকলেও আমরা সবাই মিলে উনাদেরকে সাপোর্ট করলে উনারা একটি ভালো প্রফেশনে কাজ করতে পারলে যেমন উনাদের মেধাটা এখানে কাজে লাগবে ঠিক তেমনি কানাডিয়ান অর্থনীতি এবং কানাডিয়ান সমাজের উপরও অনেক যৌক্তিক প্রভাব পড়বে।
নিচে ইমেইল এর কপিটা পেস্ট করে দেওয়া হলো।

Hi All,
Sorry about the delay in writing you with the resources from the last Sunday’s meeting. As I told you before I am not a physician, nor a big shot. I told in my post at BCCB that the meeting was for those physicians who could not get through the residency or do not want to go through it, who do not want any technical or clinical line but a professional work in the health care/caring sector.
For me, I have been working in the Social Service sector for about 13 years, and out of that almost 10 years I have been working in the healthcare sector, specially in the adult mental health. I love what I do. For the past 10 years I have been supervising Social Work and Social Service student from different universities. Beside that I was involved with Ryerson University’s one of the bridging programs to support Internationally Educated Professionals to prepare for the job search and interview. Whatever knowledge I have, I earned it from those works. I am currently working in a mental health agency funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care as a Case Manager. My work involves care coordination, psychosocial rehabilitation, counselling, advocacy, networking, motivational interview, dialectical behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, addiction support, housing support, justice and prevention, assessment etc. Psychiatrist does the pathological part, I mean they deal with the medication part, I do the whole psychosocial part to help the person to reintegrate into the society. We work under recovery model. I like this job because it is challenging and unpredictable, not monotonous or mundane. And most importantly it’s very gratifying and rewarding. I believe your profession is such.
On Sunday we had my good friend Dr. Passang and Mostafa bhai. Mr. Passang is an Indian doctor. He has been trying many things but in the end he attended a short training course on Mental Health Relief Worker, and as a part of that he did a field placement in a crisis center. I know him through his wife who was my student and from this course as I had been a member of the advisory committee of this course. After this curse Mr. Passang got a relief position at our Short Term Crisis Bed. Eventually he got a permanent PT position there. I had the opportunity to work with him for a short time. I saw his work, he was really an excellent clinician and because of that he was able to perform his duties better than others who did not have medical background. During that time, he was looking for a FT position. I suggested him to complete the “Mental Health Case Management course from George Brown College. He did it (evening) while working at our STCB. After completing it he started to apply for different FT positions, eventually he got a FT job as a Community Mental Health Worker and he is currently working in that position. He said he is happy now. He said it would have been great if he could practice as a clinician but that is very unlikely for him so he has chosen something which gives him at least some dignity. He very nicely spoke about his experience. He said he did not have time and money to try for something which has less than a percentage of possibility. The attendees of Sunday’s meeting appreciated his candid expression and tips. Many said he spoke their hearts.
Mostafa bhai talked about some entry level jobs which could lead to a position in the healthcare sector and you could use it as your Canadian experience.
In 2015, Dr Monavvari, Chief of Family Medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital in Ontario and Dr Peters, Research Associate at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. Dr Feldman, Residency Program Site Director at North York General Hospital in Toronto, Ontario did a research on IMG’s residency here in Canada. The research showed that only 6% IMGs get residency here. If you calculated how many Bangladeshi doctors has been given residency, I would say may be less than 1%, so you really have to decide what you want to do. Similarly, jobs in the teaching, research or public health are very competitive. Please read the article in “Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s NEWS” you will get a very detail picture. The name of the article is “A Sad Place, Past Present and Future” Here is the link of their article:
http://aipso.webs.com/apps/blog/show/43186952-a-sad-place-past-present-and-future

Here is another article from Toronto Star regarding the same issue.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/4818736-foreign-medical-grad-finds-ontario-system-tough-to-crack/

You must not jump into something, I mean do a degree or course without given any dip thoughts and much exploration otherwise you will waste your time, money and energy and at this age wasting your time and money is a disaster. The following are some of the suggestions that we discussed on last Sunday. We will be emphasizing on number 5.
1. If you have two years of absolute time, money and patience then go for the USA-MAIL and the residency exam. My roommate did it twice; he was single yet he had hard time to manage it. He failed the first one but passed then second one, however he did not get the residency. It was a decade back but I do not think the situation is any better now. It may cost at least $ 4000 with no guarantee. I am not discouraging anyone,  just giving the real picture. If you really into it please find a Bangladeshi doctor who did it, and find out how did he do it, how was his English, how was his financial and family conditions and match with yourself then move on.
2. You could study two years nursing, then work, you may even find job in the long term care center. Mr. Passang’s friend did it and currently working as a Long Term Care facility manager.
3. You could do a course on Ultrasound or other such course, then you may work as a technician in the hospital or a clinic. Of course you need time and money as well. If you wish I know a college which offers this program, I may pass you the info.

4. You could do a bridging program for Internationally Educated Medical Doctor at Ryerson University. There are very limited number of seats here though.

5. Start with volunteering and working in a PT/FT simple entry level job in the healthcare sector, get experience, use it in your resume, attend a PT evening short course on mental health, addiction, applied behavioral analysis, mental health case management, psychosocial rehabilitation etc. then apply for FT position in the healthcare sector.
You could apply for a Community Mental Health Counsellor, Addiction Counsellor, Mental Health Case Manager, Care Coordinator, Trauma Counsellor, CBT or DBT therapist, Assertive Community Team Member in the hospital or in the community, Abused Women Counsellor etc.
This salary of this kind of entry level job is between $48,000 to $59,000 a year, then it may increase depending on your performance and experience. And based on my experience from many who works in this kind of position, this money is a enough to live a decent life unless you have a lavish lifestyle.
Now, if you want to move on to a bit different direction you may do it after working for a while in this kind of position. For example, you may want to teach, do a research, run a project. My current CEO who earns about quarter of million started his career as a community mental health worker in CMHA, after that  he came to work in our organization as a communication director and then he moved on to the current position.
One of my colleagues who used to be a Mental Health Case Manager is currently running an Addiction Mental Health Worker Program in Centennial College. An Afghanistani gentleman who started his career like us, currently working at St. Joseph, CAMH Hospital, teaches at Seneca College and Ryerson University. Therefore, it depends where you want to go.
The problem is you may not go to the desired position right away which could have been ideal but unfortunately the system does not allow us to do that so what to do, are we sitting down lamenting and blaming the system or start from the scratch.

In the meeting Mr. Badar bhai mentioned that it’s hard to get the interview call, and that is true. So what we do. First we have to customize our resume and cover letter in so called Canadian standard then apply each position in accordance with it’s requirement, not just one set of resume and cover letter for all jobs just changing the name and position. And of course you have to first apply for a simple entry level job in the healthcare sector which may not be your ultimate choice, then while on that job do some PT short certificate course which you can use as your academic knowledge to apply for a better FT position.

There are some agencies who hires only Social Services sector employees, you may apply there, and this job is rotating shift which might help you to do beside your study or other job. They hire people to work in a group home, long term care home or to work with children who have autism or other developmental delay. Lots of Indian people I know have started their job here and now they are in their desired job. I know also few Bangladeshi who are currently working, and have had worked before. You can at least write in your resume that you have direct practice experience in the healthcare sector, then along with your own degree and a short certificate course you may approach to a FT better position as described above.
I will give the name of some agencies, you need to contact them and send your resume and cover letter accordingly. Mr. Mostafa bhai has connection with one of the agencies so, please contact him with your resume, CPR and CPI training.  He might help you with that agency’s work. If you do not have CPR and CPI please do it ASAP, it’s a one-day course. I would also tell everyone who do not have a driver’s license please start the process now, if you do not have a driver’s license you will at least miss 30% of jobs.

The following are some of the agencies who recruit PT/FT workers
1. Pals Staffing Services (Mostafa bhai may help you with them)
2. wm+a – Current Career Opportunities
this agency mostly support youth and child, and they often have vacancies
3. Freedom Support Services Inc.
4. Community Living in Toronto
5. Skylark Children, Youth and Families

There are many more agencies, I am just familiar with those. Please go through their website, read and explore. If you have any question, call them and then apply.

Now when you get a job through them what you do. Find a PT course that suits with what you are doing and do that so that you can apply for a better FT position.

Following are some of that kind of certificate courses. Depending on your residence, time, and projected work you may chose one of the following.

1. Community Mental Health Case Management Certificate, George Brown College
2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Certificate Program, CAMH, U of T
3. Certificate in Mental Health and addiction, Ryerson
4. Addiction and Mental Health, Humber college
5. Addiction and Mental Health Worker, Centennial College
6. Addiction and Mental Health Graduate Certificate, Durham College
7. Concurrent Disorders Certificate Program, CAMH
8. Hincks-Dellcrest Centre offer similar certificate courses
9. DBT Certification – The Linehan Institute, you have to find when they have a workshop in your area.
10. Psycho Social Rehabilitation Program, Hamilton Mowhak College has this.
11. Toronto Hostel Training center lots of small one or two days’ certificate which you may need to apply for some positions so not a bad idea to have few certificates from here just to weigh your resume.
12. Autism and Behavioural Science ON College Graduate Certificate, Seneca College (not sure if it is PT)
13. York Humber Applied Behaviour Certificate (good if you want to work with DD or Autistic Kids)
The Behaviour Science: An Application of Technology (ABA) Program at Humber College is a unique, part-time, post graduate certificate program that provides enhanced educational and practical skills in the growing and demanding field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, dual diagnosis, acquired brain injuries and other complex needs.

14. Geneva Center for autism offers some courses as well.

Now, if you are new and have time you can go for a similar FT certificate course or diploma but make sure it has placement option, because that’s the only Canadian experience that you will be able to show. Also if you wish to and have time and patience you can do FT or PT BSW diploma, and if you have a BSW from here with your medical degree you will be far better than us and will have more options.

Sincerely,

Mukul