S2 Ep 7 - The One With Midwife Sanja - Licence To Practise - from Serbia to UK - NMC OSCE
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Link: S2 Ep 7 - The One With Midwife Sanja - Licence To Practise - from Serbia to UK - NMC OSCE - YouTube
In S2 Ep 7, we get to know Sanja, a midwife who moved here from Serbia. Sanja focusses more on the financial element of the journey including the support she found along the way.
Learn more: https://www.oscemidwives.com/
Christina:
Hello, and welcome back to season two of Licensed to Practice from IELTS Medical. We have a really interesting interview for you today. We go into quite a lot of detail out the OSCE examination and the process of that with a midwife who has loads of great advice and who also not only practices as a midwife here in the UK, but also tutors other midwives and nurses that are in the process of getting their UK registration. So she also gives us a little bit of an insight into that as well. So let's give her a call. Hello?
Midwife Sanya:
Hello.
Christina:
Hi. How are you doing today?
Midwife Sanya:
Hi, not too bad. How yourself?
Christina:
Very well. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing your story with us.
Midwife Sanya:
No problem.
Christina:
If you could just start by just telling us a little bit about you.
Midwife Sanya:
So my name is Midwife Sanya and I moved to England about five, six years ago. I'm an overseas nurse and a midwife. And that meant for me that I need to pass CBT/OSCE, and English exam to be able actually to practice in the UK as I a midwife.
Christina:
Yeah. So did you move over here before you'd done anything or did you sort of start the process back at home?
Midwife Sanya:
No, I actually moved and then started all my process here to be honest.
Christina:
Oh, right. And how did you find it?
Midwife Sanya:
Well, if I knew some things, what I know today, I would definitely move later, in the process of registration. But because my English was not so great. So I was thinking if I move to the UK, I will learn faster, English and everything, and it'll help me with all exams. But yeah.
Christina:
Yeah, that sounds in theory, like a good idea, actually.
Midwife Sanya:
Not sure to be honest.
Christina:
You're not sure. Okay. So what, what part of the process do you think with looking back? What part do you think you would've maybe moved at?
Midwife Sanya:
Well, I think the best thing is to learn English and pass these exams and pass CBT in your own country, rather than moving to the UK first. Because I didn't know this when I moved that, when you move here, you actually need work full time to be able to pay for your room, or your flat, for all your needs, to pay for studies, which are like three times more expensive than in my country. And then when you're working full time, you actually don't have so much time for studying. Maybe it's better while you are back home with your parents or with your family and try to learn from there because there is so many tutors and everything can be done online basically. So doesn't matter in which country you are.
Christina:
Yeah. That's a really good point. Actually. I don't think we've talked about that on here before about these sort of financing your life and studies whilst you here. So having to work and balance the two. Exactly.
Midwife Sanya:
I mean, I think no one knows about that and actually people are not realizing until they actually don't come here and face with that. But this country, it is, yes, you can earn good money when you work in your profession, but the life is really expensive here as well.
Christina:
And did you move to London?
Midwife Sanya:
In the first place? Yes, I was in London for about eight months. Later on, I moved to Oxford. What is even a more expensive town than London.
Christina:
Oh, really?
Midwife Sanya:
I dare to say.
Christina:
You've picked two quite expensive places there, I think, but I guess that's, there's a lot of opportunities in London. Aren't they? And Oxford training wise as well. And job wise. So you said that you think you would move after you've passed the English test and the CBT. So, that would leave doing the OSCE over here. We haven't really talked about the OSCE exam in much detail. I don't think this season of the License to Practice podcast, would you be able to tell us a little bit about that in your experience with the OSCE?
Midwife Sanya:
Yes, actually, to be able to pass the OSCE, the best thing is to find a job in one of the local hospitals here. So you are familiar with the equipment, with the charts and a lot of things, what you need to learn. Yes, you can on everything online, but it is good to see actually in a practice, those machines and everything. For example, my country is not so much developed like UK using Dynamap or baby machine. We are still using some old system. And I think, yes, it would be beneficial for the people when they're moving here to actually take OSCE in person rather than doing it from home. Actually, you can't do it from home. You need to see the OSCE here face to face.
Christina:
Yeah, you do.
Midwife Sanya:
If you get a job in one of the hospitals, then it is much easier to pass than if you are just coming and booking exam, like in a week time.
Christina:
So that's to get used to all the equipment and all the sort of…Sorry, go on.
Midwife Sanya:
Because for exam they are not asking anything specific from all of us. We have all done these skills and things before. The purpose is only to make yourself familiar with equipment, what they use in the UK. The way how they do their own documentation is slightly different from how we do it. I mean, at least how I have done it back home. That is why I would recommend, at least like maybe a month or two before booking your exam to actually have time to work in a hospital and get your head around how is it in the UK and the work here.
Christina:
Just learn all the differences and... That makes sense. So you keep saying in this difference back home. Where is home?
Midwife Sanya:
Serbia.
Christina:
Okay. And have you noticed any other differences sort of in the working life after moving to the UK? Or is it mostly the equipment and the documentation and things like that?
Midwife Sanya:
Well, here is a bit complicated, I would say. In the first place, when you start working, because they're so strict about trainings and those certain things. While like, back home, you learn in the school and when you start working, that's it. Yes, we have a validation as well. That means that you go for education and learn for something, what is new, and keep yourself up to date with new things. But here they have trainings on a yearly basis. So basically, you will do moving handling every year. Then you do phlebotomy every three years. What I was like, I take blood on a regular basis, like 10 times, at least per day, why we need to repeat those trainings. So there is a lot of difference here, how all the system is set up.
Christina:
Yeah. We have a lot of continuing professional development. Don't we? Lot of keeping on top of skills and reassessing and things like that.
Midwife Sanya:
It is a lot of free assessment to be honest. Maybe too much.
Christina:
I'd just like to say as well, just while we're talking about assessments and stuff. You obviously at the moment whilst doing this interview have very kindly stepped away from a mock exam day. So obviously that's another thing that you must be doing over here. So obviously you practicing in the hospitals and also helping other nurses and midwives to their UK registration as well.
Midwife Sanya:
Yes. Like I said, after I passed all my exams with the help of IELTS Medical, because I personally took OSCE preparation course with them. And then later on, I became tutor as well. So now I'm helping other overseas students and nurses, midwives who are coming to this country to get them ready. And because I was in their shoes, somehow I'm able to tell them like, or I'm able to understand them more than other professors.
Christina:
Yeah. Because you've been there yourself.
Midwife Sanya:
Yes.
Christina:
And how are you finding that? Are you enjoying it? Cause I guess that's something quite different, is it?
Midwife Sanya:
It is. But it's really enjoyable. I would say, because of you constantly keep yourself up to date with new changes with NMC and what are the requirements. So even when we are preparing new students, new skills, I need to keep myself up to date as well. And it's really helpful for learning development. And I'm the person who really likes practical things. So I really enjoy teaching.
Christina:
Yeah. So it's a win-win for you then I suppose isn't it? Well, so thank you so much for, for coming on and sharing all the information. Just before I let you go. Do you have any final words of advice for people that are maybe thinking about making the move over to the UK and getting the registration practice?
Midwife Sanya:
Like I said, if they would like to come to the UK, just think, well what is your first step. Because this country, yes, it's good to earn money. Like that is the reason why we are coming here, but then it's really expensive as well. And majority of them preparation schools, and even NMC, they're advising people to come when they actually already pass their English and pass CBT and come only for OSCE. If they decide just to come earlier, then it's their own choice. But I would advise them to prepare other exam back home because there is a lot of providers online who can help. And because of COVID majority things is moved basically on online.
Christina:
Yeah, of course. COVID has changed a lot of things, hasn't it?
Midwife Sanya:
Yeah. But to see the OSCE, I would advise them definitely to come to UK few months before the exam, so they can find a job in a hospital, get their head around, make themselves familiar with equipment. Even when they book the preparation course with one of the providers. We do have all that equipment on site so they can get familiar here, but it's just, we are all different. So maybe someone will need longer time to learn than other students. So yeah, just for their own good it would be better to already start working in a hospital, like a support worker or healthcare assistant and then make the way to final registration.
Christina:
That makes sense. Well, thank you so much. Thanks so much for that and sharing your story and all that great advice. I think you've will have definitely given a lot of people a lot of things to think about. Thank you so much and enjoy the rest of your day.
Midwife Sanya:
No problem. Thank you. And I'm happy to help.
Christina:
Thank you so much for listening to another episode of License of Practice from IELTS Medical. I hope you enjoyed the interview and found it interesting and informative and learned a lot specifically about the OSCE, which we did talk about in quite a lot of detail today. And we will see you next time and as always, to your success.
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