Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi, everyone. I would like to get started in medical ESP, and I need some advice on how to go about it. I am willing to work most anywhere, but do need a decent salary, as I have ongoing expenses in the U.S., particularly a retirement account to feed, own home to pay property taxes for (I will rent it out if I am going to be gone for as long as 6 mos), etc.

I am an American woman currently working as a teacher at the secondary level, and as a medical transcriptionist. No teaching certification. I have 12 years experience in the medical field, and over 4 years experience in medical transcription. I will shortly have CELTA certification, and held Texas state paramedic licensure from 1995-2006. My medical English skills are excellent, and I have full confidence in being able to do the job. I've got good computer skills. I am just now starting to tutor people in ESL in Austin, Texas, so have little experience that is specific to ESL, but am working on that angle.

What should I do to get a good job overseas? Where do I look? I would consider either long or short term to begin with. My timeline is to leave in 6 months to a year, and I cannot afford to get another degree (like MA) right now.

Hi, Amity:
I see you are/were in Texas. Try to track down English Horizons in El Paso. They might be able to help you.
Melodie in Canada

I must say that I've never seen a specifically Medical English job advertised internationally, they tend just to be in the local papers. Could I just be looking in the wrong place??

Hi, Alex:
You may not see these jobs advertised, but they are out there. Usually they are part of IEN programs: Internationally Educated Nurses programs at the colleges and universities in the USA and Canada. I have a number of customers for my own materials who work in these jobs .
Bye for now,
Melodie

I think this person wanted a job outside the US- would those contacts also help for that?

Yes, Alex, they would. Many of the colleges have international agreements and affiliations with schools of nursing or medicine. Those same schools abroad often ask for faculty and sometimes on short contracts of say, a semester. You wouldn't know about these programs if you have never spoken to any of the health studies departments at the US colleges or their English language department. However, if you go on the college websites, click 'international' and you will at least see which countries they are affiliated with. That's a first step in the inquiry.

Let me say this to everyone reading: be very careful of 'recruiting companies' posing as 'schools'. There are a number of these in Ireland, the USA and other countries. They are actually modern day head hunters for nurses and not interested in teaching any level of English that will help the nurses become work ready AT ALL. It is also rare for these companies to adequately prepare the nurses for the language benchmarking tests that nursing licenses required. So,.... they take alot of money from recruits, who in turn are unhappy or unable to do their jobs in an English speaking country (let alone get registered) and who, in the end return to their country of origin. It's a bad scene!!!!

Bye for now...
Melodie in Canada