Job Discussion Forums

[aot531]

I'm wondering if anyone here can give me some advice on my particular situation...

38 y/o female, American, native English speaker, single

BA in "English and American Literature and Language" from Harvard

MD with a few years of residency (didn't finish residency and not currently practicing); also some post-doctoral laboratory research experience with a few publications

100-hour onsite TESL/TESOL certificate course

2.5 years teaching ESL in Korea (I gather experience in Korea is generally worthless, and mine was to elementary and middle school kids, but I am able to say I was Head Teacher at one school and did a lot of curriculum development at the other school... better than nothing, right?)

Also a few years of experience doing medical/scientific editing

So... are these credentials worth anything in Saudi Arabia, or elsewhere in the ME? I do have a desperate need for money, but I also really do want to experience living in the region.

I'm wondering if there's some way I can use the medical/scientific background... perhaps teaching pre-med students in a prep-year program? Anyone know about anything like that? Or anything involving students at a more advanced medical/scientific level that I might be qualified for?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[Sirens of Cyprus]

They don't design ESL programs to be taught by people like you, but for the lowest common denominator: a teacher who went to a no-name school, whose major was pretty much worthless to begin with, who had mediocre grades, never did figure out where those apostropes go, couldn't find a job, then got a quickie CELTA and still has a thick regional accent.

What happened? Accused of a murder you didn't commit? Victim of blind justice? Forced to toil at many jobs? Still looking for that one-armed man?

My advice? Don't even put your MD on your CV. It will scare people and just make it easier for Gerard to find you.

[nomad soul]

I agree; your MD has nothing to do with teaching English. (Plus, the Saudis may be put off that you didn't complete your residency---they hold such degrees and training in high esteem.) That being said, your minimum qualifications + med background may be enough for King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Check their website. Otherwise, there are plenty of contracting companies looking to fill teaching spots in foundation year programs all over the Kingdom. Just be sure to read up on these companies before applying.

[aot531]

To Sirens of Cyprus: "People like [me]?" Should I be flattered or insulted? Or both?

Thanks for the advice, though -- so you don't think I should even mention the MD. I guess I could clarify... I was mostly asking because I keep seeing, on all these job postings, things like "PhD or other advanced degree, even in unrelated subject, is an asset..." So I wondered how an MD might be viewed. Negatively, apparently...

To nomad soul: I appreciate your advice. I'll check the website you mention. Otherwise, what you're saying sounds pretty much like the conclusion I've been drawing -- I could find a contracting company that would hire me, but that involves taking a pretty big gamble.

(For some background, I'm not necessarily completely unprepared to take a gamble... the first hagwon I worked at in Korea unexpectedly closed -- the employer called us one day and told us not to come into work the next day because the school had gone out of business. Just like that, I was out of a job in Korea. I mean, I know Saudi Arabia is not Korea, but my point is that my teaching experience to date hasn't been without hurdles, and I wouldn't expect anything different in Saudi Arabia.)

[nomad soul]

[aot531]

When I got my first ESL teaching job (this was in NYC), I had no relevant experience, nothing but having been a doctor and done research. So I emphasized on my resume all the skills and attributes that doctors learn and develop that are relevant to teaching... communication skills and cultural sensitivity (treating patients of all ages and from all backgrounds, being able to listen to them and explain their situations clearly and answer their questions, having patience and empathy), human relations skills (working well with teams, being able to take a leadership role when necessary, being able to manage conflict), and organizational skills (time management, multi-tasking, working well under pressure)...

Now, some might think that's all a bunch of BS (and maybe it is), and some might think, "That doesn't describe any doctors I know!" (and I might agree). But... I did get the first ESL job I applied for, with all that on my resume

Also, to nomad soul: Thanks so much (again) for all the time you're taking to reply to me. I really do appreciate it.

I guess I'm a little confused about something, though. You talk about "researching the employer." Do you mean the sketchy contractor, or the university (or whoever) they tell you you'll ultimately be working for? If you mean the final employer (the university, let's say), I get that, but if you mean the sketchy contractor, what more is there to know? They're a contractor, they're sketchy, you understand that you can't trust them, but you decide to put your fate in their hands anyway. Then you just cross your fingers, hope for the best, and take a leap... Is this me being too passive?

[Grendal]

Just a general statement to the OP.

You can keep your medical sciences experience on your resume if you like. Just be sure that the place you are applying to can use you. For example, universities that teach medical sciences and have a medical track in their preparatory year. You would be instructing ESP. Using your specific knowledge in the field to prepare lessons that are informative and instructive.

A very good friend of mine was here with MD qualifications and he was doing exactly that. You will be on female campuses though, and these places are generally diploma mills that qualify girls for prospective marriage candidates. Only a small percentage actually want to further their education in foreign universities.

Hope this helps

Grendal

[nomad soul]

[scot47]

Medical faculties in KSA teach Medicine through the medium of English. Colleges preparing students for work in the ancillary medical professions also teach a lot of English.

[veiledsentiments]

[DLIguy]

Sycophancy in Saudi is the magical ingredient to pedagogical success...

[nomad soul]

[aot531]

[veiledsentiments]

The sad reality is that women in the Gulf mostly have little say about marriage. I can't tell you how many times families forced their daughter to marry at the same time as finals and graduation... and we teachers had to figure out how to work around this. According to Islam the woman can say no... but in real life, the girls usually can't. Good fathers who consult their daughters exist, but even then, good daughters choose to please their parents rather than themselves.

VS

[aot531]

Thank you again to everyone who's taken time to respond to me/give me their thoughts or advice -- it's been extremely helpful.

Several people have recommended that I look into teaching medical English at health sciences schools/medical schools/hospitals, which sounds fantastic -- but I'm hoping to get clarification on one (*small*) thing.

Should I only be sending my CV to the "female section" or the "female dean" (or whatever) when I approach these places, or does that not matter? Are there circumstances in which women teach males in Saudi Arabia? Universities are one thing, but maybe the world of hospitals or medical schools is very different (for example, I look at pictures on the King Fahd Military Medical Complex website, and it's full of women dressed in scrubs, heads uncovered, interacting with men... so it makes me wonder).

I hope someone can shed some light on this for me...