Chile Forum

Hey
I'm a doctor in the UK. I speak Spanish and have taken the appropriate course in medical spanish. Im keen to get some experience in south america but am struggling big time to work out how to get my foot in the door of any hospital. I know there are reciprocal agreements amongst some spanish speaking countries but on the whole it seems very difficult for foreign doctors to work in south america at all.
I know this is a general forum, but Im hoping someone may be able to shed some light somewhere.
Alternatively, I would consider doing some voluntary clinical work, and again, if anybody is aware of any reputable organisations Id be grateful for the direction.
Gracias,
Rachel

I'm not a doctor or in the medical field by any means (so take what I say with a grain of salt), but I've been told by a handful of academics that some foreign doctors have got their start Chile by taking low-paying positions in public clinics and hospitals, and then moving on to the private clinics after some time.

As a Doctor you would be getting a temporary residency on a professional visa, which is very easy to acquire as long as you have a job offer and your documentation in order. Details here: http://www.extranjeria.gov.cl/filesapp/TE8_ISO.pdf

Chile has international agreements with some SA countries for doctors to be able to practice but not the UK, as far as I know. You could contact the Colegio Médico de Chile for information.

You might have a better chance starting outside of Santiago, in the South, maybe in Chiloe or rural areas. They are always lacking doctors, especially specialists. I don't know about equivalencies, but if you have to take the medical test here, I heard that it's especially hard for those foreign educated, being Spanish speaking or not.

I suspected as much re getting validation and working in public institutions first of all. Seems to be tricky for UK doctors in most of latin america. But not worth doing if its not a challenge!
Thanks for your replies so far