“I’d work, I’ve got to live somehow / I can’t mop, go to a coffee shop and sweep the floors to support the kids, with degrees like this”

Sofia Lekishvili, ophthalmologist, refugee from Ukraine, arrived in Romania on March 10, 2022. It comes from the city of Sumî, which is 40 km from the border of the Russian Federation. She left during the occupation, she was 38 weeks pregnant.

“I drove the car for 3 days to Bucharest, about 1500 or 1800 km and I arrived. I thank God. I am one of the first Ukrainians born in Bucharest. My daughter is 2 years old soon, thank God everything is fine. To be honest, I haven’t heard much about Romania until now. In our areas and on the Internet, you heard more often about other, more advanced countries in Europe. I came here why, because it is closer to Odesa, we have an apartment in Odesa, although we live in Sumî. My husband’s friend lives in Bucharest and I came here. My husband was already here because he came from Odessa. And I, during the occupation, was in Sumî and he was in Odesa. I left alone, with my children and my mother. I arrived here and 10 days later I gave birth,” she told exclusively for videomedicina.ro Sofia Lekishvili.

She thought she would give birth in Romania and return home immediately

The ophthalmologist graduated from Sumy State University in 2006, then he studied in Kharkiv for 2 years in an internship, then for 2 years in a clinical residency and during the clinical residency he received his Candidate’s degree in Medical Sciences.

“I came with two blouses and shirts. I left during the occupation, because when I called the doctor, he told me that I wouldn’t get to the hospital to give birth, because we didn’t have the right to leave the house, the tanks were moving through the city, and when we were allowed to leave, I took a chance and left. I thought I would give birth, the war would end quickly, and in two weeks I would be back. And look, we’ve been staying here for 2 years,” Sofia Lekishvili testified.

The ophthalmologist specialty from Ukraine is not recognized in Romania

With 18 years of experience as an ophthalmologist, Sofia also tried her luck in Romania, and after giving birth she submitted her medical training documents to see if she can practice as an ophthalmologist here.

“Since 2006, when I graduated from the internship, I have been working at the State Medical Institute in Sumî. I am the head of the ophthalmology course. I teach eye diseases. I worked as an ophthalmologist in a hospital in Sumî. I studied 6 years as a general practitioner, 2 years specialization in ophthalmology, 2 years clinical residency. In total 4 years of specialization. I submitted the documents immediately after I arrived, in 2022, in the sixth month. It’s been a few months since I gave birth and filed the papers. I confirmed the medical degree. The answer came, that the diploma was recognized. They wrote to contact the Ministry of Health to confirm the specialization. I went to the Ministry of Health, got my diplomas, waited three to four months and received an answer that 2 years of internship in Ukraine is not enough for the European Union. Ophthalmology in Romania is 4 years. Despite the fact that you are a candidate in sciences, that you are a doctor, you are not a specialist” explained Sofia Lekishvili.

He would like to work as a specialist and if there is such an opportunity, also as a general practitioner.

“I would work because I have to live somehow. Excuse me, I can’t mop, go to a coffee shop and sweep the floors to support the children, with degrees like that. I don’t think any doctor will do that, to spend so many years studying, working, and then come to another country and sweep the floors,” said the doctor.

Why doctors from Ukraine cannot practice in Romania

In the last two years, six files of Ukrainian doctors refugees in our country who want to practice in the Romanian medical system have reached the Romanian College of Physicians (CMR). None of these files are complete.

“It is not in anyone’s interest for these applicants to stay longer than is strictly necessary to check those documents that refer to the professional and training path of these doctors,” he declared for videomedicina.ro Dr. Călin Bumbuluț, the vice-president of the Romanian College of Physicians, saying that there are differences between the training periods of doctors from Ukraine and doctors from Romania.

There are many conditions that a doctor from a third country, including Ukraine, must fulfill in order to be able to practice in Romania in the medical field.

The vice-president of the College of Doctors from Romania stated that in the last two years, six files were received from Ukrainian doctors who had various specialties from family medicine to neurology.

,,The problem with these files is that they are ongoing, or could not be completed or have a consequence of recognition for reasons that vary from case to case: from being a citizen or the wife of a citizen or a refugee with blue card up to the actual content of the training in the respective specialty, regarding the recognition of the qualification title as such”, said Dr. Călin Bumbuluț.

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