by Are you a Nigerian-trained doctor? Do you want to work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor? This article will shed light on the requirements and how to work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor.
Note: This article also applies to foreign-trained dentists, nurses and allied health workers who intend to practice in the state of Kuwait.
To work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or allied health worker, you will need to obtain the relevant practice licence from the Kuwait Ministry of Health.
Required documents to obtain Kuwait medical practice licence
Nigerian-trained doctors and other non-Kuwait-trained doctors will need the following documents to apply for Kuwait medical practice licence.
- Application letter for Kuwait medical practice licence addressed to Kuwait Ministry of Health.
- Applicant’s curriculum Vitae, which should include the applicant’s qualifications and relevant work history.
- Applicant’s professional certificates/degrees. This includes Bachelor’s degree (MBBS), Bachelor’s transcript, internship certificate and postgraduate degree.
- Certificate of experience from the hospitals/institutions the applicant has worked with. This should include the participant’s clinical and non-clinical experience in chronological order post-graduation.
- Applicant’s medical practice licence from the country where the applicant was working.
- Certificate of good standing. This is issued either by the last hospital/institution the applicant has worked with or the country medical council in this case Nigeria Medical and Dental Council.
- Applicant’s international passport with at least two years validity. The two-year passport validity will also apply when you have passed your online interview and your Kuwait visa processing has commenced. Thus, if possible, it is better to have at least 3 years of passport validity before applying. Otherwise, you run the risk of being asked to renew your international passport during the application process, even after passing the online interview.
- Recommendation letter from three individuals from your previous place of work.
- Applicant’s passport photograph.
- EPIC ID. The applicant can start the application process, without the EPIC ID, however, before the process is completed EPIC will verify the applicant’s qualifications.
Work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor
To work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor, the applicant will need to obtain a medical practice licence from the Ministry of the Health of Kuwait before they can practice medicine in the state of Kuwait.
Non-Kuwait-trained doctors who intend to practice in Kuwait need to obtain the required documents for Kuwait medical practice licensure. After getting the required documents, the Applicant should submit the documents to the Kuwait Ministry of Health via courier or email or to agents residing in Kuwait.
The ministry reviews the submitted documents and the applicant’s qualifications are sent to the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education for review.
After the review, the applicant’s file is presented to the speciality committee and online examination committee for a personal online interview.
The personal interview is usually online since the applicant is not domiciled in Kuwait. The date of the online examination and related information is usually communicated via email.
Successful applicants will have their files forwarded to the special contracts department for further approval.
Usually, the applicant will receive the contract and offer letter via email from the special contracts unit within three to six months after the online interview.
If the applicant accepts the job offer, then the candidate’s visa and work permit is processed and when ready the candidate travels to Kuwait for documentation and resumption of duty.
In addition, the applicant must pass a medical check-up in Nigeria at a designated medical facility before travelling to Kuwait.
Note: Kuwait government employs primarily specialists and consultants from Nigeria. There rarely employ medical officers who do not have any postgraduate clinical qualifications and experience. However private hospitals in Kuwait employs all cadre of medical doctors.
Kuwait Medical Doctor Cadres
Different medical specialities/departments in Kuwait have unique cadres depending on the following:
- Year of obtaining a primary medical degree (MBBS)
- Year of obtaining relevant post-graduate qualifications
In Kuwait’s primary health care, there are three cadres: practitioner, senior practitioner B and senior practitioner A.
Nigerian-trained doctors who do not have any postgraduate medical training and whose Mbbs is less than 17 years will be employed as medical practitioners, while Nigerian-trained doctors with Mbbs older than 17 years or West African College of Physicians Membership and fellowship older than 6 and 4 years respectively are employed as senior practitioners.
Conclusion
To work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor is achievable once all the required documents are obtained and submitted. Good luck.
For comments/ clarifications on how to work in Kuwait as a Nigerian-trained doctor, please use the comment section.
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