Ukrainian doctor rebuilds career through volunteering

A Ukrainian doctor who left her home country before Russia's full-scale invasion hopes to return to practising medicine after volunteering at a stroke rehabilitation unit.

Olena Ipek, 30, has spent the past nine months at Westbrook House in Margate while studying for the exams needed to qualify as a doctor in the UK.

She said adjusting to life in England had been challenging, with language barriers and cultural differences making it difficult to navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system.

Ipek said: "When I see the patients improving I see that it is worth my time. We play games, do crafts, talk with them and spend time with them. It makes them happy being with us volunteers."

Born and raised in Kyiv, Ipek graduated from Bogomolets National Medical University before completing postgraduate training in paediatric and working in hospitals and community clinics across the Kyiv region.

But in 2021, as concerns grew over a build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine's borders, she and her husband, Baris, decided to leave.

They moved to Turkey before settling in Kent.

In December she started at Westbrook House, initially shadowing experienced volunteers, before taking on her own responsibilities and supporting patients independently.

She said she was initially "afraid to make any mistakes", but gained confidence by shadowing other volunteers.

"Day by day, I became more confident and now I know what I'm going to do, what I'm going to say and how I'm going to spend time with patients," she said.

She later joined the Volunteer to Career programme, developed by national charity Helpforce and delivered by Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust.

Martin McGlown, head of communications at Helpforce, said the scheme helped not only refugees but also others from a healthcare background who wanted to reconnect with their skills.

"Overcoming those barriers is important and volunteering gives them that confidence and experience," he added.

There are around 7,500 doctor vacancies and 21,600 unfilled nursing roles in England alone, according to NHS figures.

Laura Macdonald, who works with Ipek, said Helpforce were doing "an amazing job".

"[They are] bridging that gap for people to have an opportunity to come out of warfare and be able to work in an environment that's safe and also what they're used to and they're passionate about," she said.

Alongside volunteering, Ipek passed the exams required for international medical graduates wishing to practise in the UK, with additional support from the Ukrainian Medical Charity.

She is now completing the final stages of gaining her General Medical Council licence and hopes to return to medicine in the NHS, eventually specialising in paediatrics again.

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