Job fair provides training, employment for International Medical Doctors
Badawi was one of the International Medical Doctors (IMD) to attend a job and health education fair hosted by an organization called Skills for Change, at College and Dufferin streets, Tuesday, May 13.
"People have to know you to hire you," she said.
That's why she was especially impressed with the job and health education fair, held at the Employment Resource Centre, on College Street at Dufferin. At the job fair, she had the opportunity to talk to five employers and six colleges and universities that work with Career Transitions, a Skills for Change program. She said she was especially impressed with Mount Sinai Hospital, which has positions available.
"Most of the jobs aren't advertised," Badawi said, speaking of some of the roadblocks she has encountered. "When you're new, you're alone, you're lost."
Before attending the fair, Badawi completed a mandatory five-week workshop, which consists of evening sessions two days a week.
"It was very rewarding," she said. "It enlightened me on how to job search, write my resume, interview - how to transition my skills. It's opened my eyes."
Badawi was 16 when she left Canada for medical school in the Sudan and graduated at 21.
"It was what I was told to do," she said.
Since then, she's been fortunate to have travelled the globe. She has worked in Malaysia and Bangkok. Helping people is what she enjoys. She would love to pursue a career in social work.
"You have to have a passion to help people," she said.
It doesn't hurt that she "thrives on multiculturalism."
"That's why I love Toronto," she said.
The purpose of the job and health education fair was to give international doctors options, according to Skills for Change's Nasra Smith, program coordinator for Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors.
"Part of the reason we have the job fair is to promote diversity of background and skills. We have a huge number of IMDs," she said. "It's about time our health centres utilize their skills."
The Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors program is part of the Skills for Change organization, which is funded by the Government of Ontario and works with employers to promote IMD's transferable skills and create jobs through employment, volunteer opportunities and work experience placements.
Other agencies and institutes who were in attendance at the job fair in addition to Mount Sinai Hospital was Health Environments, Multicultural Inter Agency Group of Peel (MIAG), Kensington Health Centre, Ryerson University, Michener Institute, Oxford College, Robetech Institute and CMA Global Canadian Medical Learning Centre.
