Kristina Begoyan
Country: Armenia
Research Project: Comparative Study of Dentists Trained in the European Union and Outside of the European Union Registered and/or Employed in Ireland
ABSTRACT:
Background: The migration of health professionals in Ireland closely follows general migration trends. While Ireland had been a typical source-country it became a very attractive destination country for health professionals, due to its economic development. While the migration of doctors and nurses is very well researched, very little is known about the migration of dentists. Moreover, in comparison with other health professionals, the proportion of foreign-trained dentists, who studied dentistry outside of the UE, is very small. Therefore, the aim of our study was to explore the push and pull factors affecting foreign-trained dentists in Ireland and a comparison of the experiences of EU-trained and non-EU-trained dentists during their registration process and employment. In addition, perception of job satisfaction for these sub-groups of dentists was compared as well.
Method: The study was designed as exploratory and descriptive. It was cross-sectional, using quantities methods, and included all study population of FTDs who had postal addresses in Ireland and obtained registration between 2004 and 2010. Questionnaires were posted to 302 FTDs. A total of 67 were received back: 9 from non-EU-tainted dentists and 58 from EU-tainted dentists.
Results: The main pull factors varied between the EU and non-EU subgroups. FTDs did not have difficulties finding employment after registration, while the registration time for non-EU qualified dentists was considerably longer than for EU-trained. Both sub-groups were unsatisfied with the training opportunities available in Ireland. The main source countries were the UK and Poland. A significant number of participants had an Irish or Northern Irish origin and came back to Ireland after qualifying. Half of the dentists were planning to stay in Ireland permanently.
Conclusion: More information and technical support has to be provided to non-EU trained dentists. English language requirements for dentists from other EU countries would be beneficial for the quality of dental services. Data collection on migrant dentists has to be improved in order to understand migration trends.
Key words: Migration of health workers, dentist, registration, Ireland
[Total words count: 11, 965]