International medical graduates' training needs: perceptions of New Zealand hospital staff.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the opinion of New Zealand doctors and nurses on the possible training needs of international medical graduates (IMGS) in New Zealand hospitals.

DESIGN

A postal questionnaire sent to hospital doctors and nurses.

METHODS

All doctors working at Wellington, Kenepuru, and Hutt Hospitals in the greater Wellington region, and nurses working in acute medical wards at the same hospitals, were asked to complete a questionnaire based on the Northern Clinical Training Network and Capital Coast District Health Board resident medical officer assessment forms regarding an overseas-trained doctor they had worked with in the last year.

RESULTS

The response rate for the doctor's questionnaires was 68/174 (39.1%), with 51 of these from New Zealand doctors rating an international medical graduate. The response rate for the nurses was 58/60 (96.7%). Areas where the median score of the questionnaire was unsatisfactory (less than three out of five on an ordinal scale rating performance) were clinical documentation; communication with patients, families, and other health professionals; knowledge of hospital policies and procedures, and medicolegal matters; and some aspects of patient management. There was no difference in median ratings between doctors and nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

More specific training may improve the performance of overseas-trained doctors in the New Zealand health system. A further study of the perceived needs of the overseas-trained doctors themselves may be useful.