Migrant doctors

Abstract

Migrant Doctors is a text narrated from the experience of migration from Colombia to Spain, seen through the eyes of a medical professional. It is an exercise in interpreting the reality of the medical profession in both countries, analyzing their social, academic, work-related, and cultural contrasts, as well as the impact on both the personal and familial spheres of the migrant doctor, and on the overall dynamics of the receiving country (Spain). To frame these reflections, we have gathered some global data on migration and analysed economic and social aspects that have facilitated a significant emigration of Colombians for which data is available. While international mobility is a topic with countless facets, this document focuses on the reality faced by non-EU doctors seeking to practice in Spanish territory. The non-EU doctor faces, on one hand, a regulatory universe that must be understood, and furthermore, must comprehend the society they wish to join. The aspirations of migrant doctors and the urgent needs for more hands to attend to the healthcare needs of the Spanish population are amidst the interests of the government and its officials, as well as a complex network of agencies and lawyers, who endeavor to facilitate the practice of the profession beyond borders.