College Strengthens Support for Refugee Doctors with Renewal of Bridges Partnership

City of Glasgow College has renewed its partnership with The Bridges Programmes, reaffirming its commitment to helping refugees and asylum seekers improve their employability in Scotland.

A key feature of the collaboration is the Refugee Doctors Project, which supports internationally trained medical professionals in re-establishing their careers. Through the project, Bridges registers displaced doctors and refers them to the College to study Medical English in preparation for the Occupational English Test (OET), a vital requirement for practising medicine in the UK.

To ensure accessibility, the College delivers both in-person and online Medical English courses, enabling learners from beyond Glasgow to receive the support they need.

Associate Dean James Davies, a member of the Refugee Doctors Steering Group, highlighted the value of the work:

“As well as delivering general English to displaced people, the College also offers this vital specialist English language provision. Whilst being incredibly skilled in a range of diverse medical disciplines, our students need to develop their English skills and learn about health culture and practice here. This supports them on their journey to professional registration — we collaborate with the NHS and Bridges to provide clear pathways to practice. This allows for talented international medical professionals to join the NHS workforce in Scotland.”

At this year’s Bridges Stakeholder Event, ESOL lecturer Morag McIntosh received the Outstanding Partnership Award in recognition of the exceptional support she provides to her students. Morag teaches both the face-to-face and online courses and has an impressive record of preparing learners for the OET.

Morag reflected on the award:

“I was honoured to receive recognition for my work with the Bridges Refugee Doctors Project. It is rewarding and humbling to work with such dedicated and motivated healthcare professionals to help them pass the OET exam. Success in this exam brings them one step closer to achieving their dream of becoming registered with the General Medical Council, where their skills are in high demand.”

Through the renewal of this partnership, City of Glasgow College continues to play a vital role in helping refugee medical professionals rebuild their careers and contribute to Scotland’s healthcare system.