Indian-origin doctors claim 'inequality' in GP exams in UK

[Northerner]

A group of Indian-origin physicians has launched a legal action against the regulatory body for doctors in the UK, alleging that the exam, which confirms a doctor has satisfactorily completed speciality training and is competent to enter independent practice, is flawed and discriminates against international trainees.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin (BAPIO) claims there is a "significant difference in pass rates" between UK and international graduates, including those of Indian origin.

Their lawyers have started a legal bid against the regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), and standards body, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ty-in-GP-exams-in-UK/articleshow/18774084.cms

 

[LeeLee]

I seem to remember that a few months ago there was a news story saying that doctors whose first language isn't English and who fail their GP exams want an extra two attempts allowed.

 

[Northerner]

I think with medical matters it's clearly of principal importance that the doctor knows his stuff, but it's also essential that he can communicate that knowledge clearly to the patient - even more so when the problem in point is largely self-managed, like diabetes. I've had to deal with some obviously very intelligent and highly-qualified people who I could barely comprehend. There are also some cultural differences that can be important in a health situation. When I was working in IT and 'handing over' to an Indian outsourcing company we had a course in what this might mean and what we may not realise - one of the things mentioned was that the Indian employees would always try to give a positive response to a question even if the answer was not known or ought to be negative. I'm sure this isn't true of many, but nor would I want my health to be put at risk due to a misunderstanding

Those failure rates do seem to suggest that there is a huge gap somewhere along the line though, and a growing one, so it's hard to understand why the problems haven't been properly identified and rectified.