Print

magalvin19:30 UTC06 Jun 2011

Hello,

I am hoping to get some advice for my mum. She is looking to move to Italy in the near future and we have been discussing what she could do for work. She is a fully qualified dermatologist (20+ years experience), but would be interested in either doctor or teaching work in Italy.

As yet this is all in the very early stages, but if anyone could offer some advice it would be great. Is it possible for UK doctors to get work in Italy? Or how feasible is the idea of her transferring to teaching work?

Any knowledge or experience of this kind of situation would be greatly appreciated - My mum will be moving out there alone and I would really like to get some insight into this for her.

Many thanks.

ciglre13:03 UTC08 Jun 2011

Hi!

In order to work as a doctor, I believe your mum would have to do some kind of training/courses to convert her qualification (since Italian medicines, regulations, etc can be different from English ones). Additionally your mum would have to speak very good Italian. It is very difficult to get a job as a doctor unless you speak the language very well (I know it is different in the UK…. You have lots of doctors who are not native speakers… in Italy it is not like that). Having said that, if she gets her qualification recognized in Italy and if she speaks the language well enough, she should be able to get a job.

Not sure what kind of teaching experience/qualifications your mum has. In order to teach English in a public school she needs to be a qualified teacher (e.g. hold a teaching degree). In order to work in a language school it is often enough to be a native speaker and have a TEFL certificate or equivalent (but of course it depends on the school and it makes sense to check with several schools before moving to Italy).

An alternative would be to offer private lessons and/or conversation classes. It takes a while to establish this kind of “business” (you need to find enough students, etc.) but once you have done so it can be quite profitable.

Before your mum moves to Italy it makes sense to consider carefully where to move to! Be aware that unemployment in the South of Italy is really high at the moment… finding a job in regions such as Calabria or Puglia is nearly impossible. If she wants to teach English or give English lessons I would choose a town with a university.

If your mum does not speak any Italian at all, I would recommend that she learns at least the basics before moving to Italy. It is not easy to survive in Italy without at least a basic knowledge, as many Italians still do not speak English (especially people over 40).

everbrite11:07 UTC11 Jun 2011

As yet this is all in the very early stages, but if anyone could offer some advice it would be great. Is it possible for UK doctors to get work in Italy? Or how feasible is the idea of her transferring to teaching work?

Licenses are by jurisdiction so her UK license to practice is not valid in Italy. There are some exceptions but not likely in Western Europe.

Since medical education in Italy is likely to be in Italian, unless you mom is fluent in Italian, it is unlikely that she can teach.

Bottom line, this isn't practical.

Ruth

British doctor hoping for some advice about moving to Italy Interest forums / The Long Haul - Living & Working Abroad
magalvin19:30 UTC06 Jun 2011	Hello, I am hoping to get some advice for my mum. She is looking to move to Italy in the near future and we have been discussing what she could do for work. She is a fully qualified dermatologist (20+ years experience), but would be interested in either doctor or teaching work in Italy. As yet this is all in the very early stages, but if anyone could offer some advice it would be great. Is it possible for UK doctors to get work in Italy? Or how feasible is the idea of her transferring to teaching work? Any knowledge or experience of this kind of situation would be greatly appreciated - My mum will be moving out there alone and I would really like to get some insight into this for her. Many thanks.
ciglre13:03 UTC08 Jun 2011	Hi! In order to work as a doctor, I believe your mum would have to do some kind of training/courses to convert her qualification (since Italian medicines, regulations, etc can be different from English ones). Additionally your mum would have to speak very good Italian. It is very difficult to get a job as a doctor unless you speak the language very well (I know it is different in the UK…. You have lots of doctors who are not native speakers… in Italy it is not like that). Having said that, if she gets her qualification recognized in Italy and if she speaks the language well enough, she should be able to get a job. Not sure what kind of teaching experience/qualifications your mum has. In order to teach English in a public school she needs to be a qualified teacher (e.g. hold a teaching degree). In order to work in a language school it is often enough to be a native speaker and have a TEFL certificate or equivalent (but of course it depends on the school and it makes sense to check with several schools before moving to Italy). An alternative would be to offer private lessons and/or conversation classes. It takes a while to establish this kind of “business” (you need to find enough students, etc.) but once you have done so it can be quite profitable. Before your mum moves to Italy it makes sense to consider carefully where to move to! Be aware that unemployment in the South of Italy is really high at the moment… finding a job in regions such as Calabria or Puglia is nearly impossible. If she wants to teach English or give English lessons I would choose a town with a university. If your mum does not speak any Italian at all, I would recommend that she learns at least the basics before moving to Italy. It is not easy to survive in Italy without at least a basic knowledge, as many Italians still do not speak English (especially people over 40).	1
everbrite11:07 UTC11 Jun 2011	As yet this is all in the very early stages, but if anyone could offer some advice it would be great. Is it possible for UK doctors to get work in Italy? Or how feasible is the idea of her transferring to teaching work? Licenses are by jurisdiction so her UK license to practice is not valid in Italy. There are some exceptions but not likely in Western Europe. Since medical education in Italy is likely to be in Italian, unless you mom is fluent in Italian, it is unlikely that she can teach. Bottom line, this isn't practical. Ruth	2

British doctor hoping for some advice about moving to Italy