Language is the Key to Integration
Prof. Dr. med. Nabeel Farhan developed a training concept with acting patients and thus significantly improved the success rate for passing the professional knowledge test.
In an interview with the magazine 'Netzwerk Südbaden', Prof. Dr. Nabeel Farhan, founder of the Freiburg International Academy (FIA), shares his personal experiences as an immigrant from Saudi Arabia in Germany and his motivation to support doctors from crisis and war-torn areas in starting their careers in Germany. Since 2013, FIA has assisted around 7000 doctors from 140 countries in establishing themselves in Germany. Farhan developed special training concepts, including the use of actors as simulated patients for doctors' daily work scenarios. These training concepts have increased the success rate of the knowledge examinations for foreign doctors from 30% to over 90%. However, Farhan criticizes the lengthy and bureaucratic processes of professional recognition in Germany and calls for expedited recognition.
To combat the shortage of skilled workers in the German healthcare system, Farhan emphasizes the need for immigration of foreign healthcare professionals and at the same time calls for more study places in the field of medicine, as well as more progress in the digitization of administrative processes. He is involved in projects for digital healthcare provision, especially in rural areas where the shortage of doctors is particularly severe. He expresses concern about right-wing extremist tendencies and the lack of a welcoming culture in Germany, especially in the eastern German states. Despite personal experiences of discrimination, Farhan remains determined to advocate for the integration of foreign professionals and to combat prejudices.
To read the full article on the magazine's website, please follow this link.
Text and photo: FIA