Clinical Laboratory Employment on Foreign Shores:
How to Start the Journey

Julie Brownie, CLS(NCA)

Have you ever read a recruiting advertisement for overseas employment and wondered what a job in a foreign country would be like? I had thought about overseas employment for years. What it took for me to finally do something about this interest was meeting someone who was working overseas. If this is the path you would like to follow, you can take a more proactive approach

I worked for four years as a transfusion service supervisor in a large medical center in Saudi Arabia. The two questions I am most often asked about this experience are: "What was it like?" and "How did I come to work there?" Both of these questions are foremost in the minds of people seeking employment in other countries. To answer the questions, I’ll start with "How".

There are many avenues you can take to working outside of the USA. They range from a two-week stint working as a volunteer with a non-governmental agency (NGO) to contracting with a governmental agency for one to two years for full-time employment. Some of the sources you can use to find these opportunities are Advance for Medical Laboratory Professionals, recruiting agencies and, of course, the internet. Professional journals with recruiting advertisements will also have listings by individual institutions and recruiting agencies.

I frequently see advertisements placed by individual hospitals in the Caribbean listed. Recruiters such as HCCA International and Helen Zeigler & Associates represent institutions in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. The US government also has civilian opportunities in Europe and the South Pacific. NGOs affiliated with churches and medical organizations such as Ship Hope and Doctors without Borders offer a variety of opportunities. All of these organizations maybe found on the internet.

Before you accept a position, I recommend the following groundwork. First, find as many people as you can who have worked for the organization and who have lived in the country you are considering. Pick their brains. You want to know specifically what the working conditions are like. What are the safety and ethical standards? Are you asked to perform duties outside your scope of practice? What is the work ethic of the people with whom you will be working? Only you can decide what you can live with and what will frustrate you and cause you to find the working conditions unacceptable. Contacting the US Department of State may also give you some information on how US citizens fare working in the country in which you are interested. The more you know, the fewer surprises you will have if you take the job. And, believe me, there will be enough surprises to satisfy anyone with a desire for the unexpected!

You will also want to know about life beyond your job. What do Westerners do in their spare time? Is there any spare time? Are you free to move about the country? How safe is it? I went to Saudi Arabia with sewing projects and lots of books, only to find that there is a plethora of clubs and recreational activities in the Western compounds, which left me with no time for embroidery!

Finally, you want to make sure you have a written contract with your employer. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of your new adventure and neglect the business details. There is nothing worse than being stranded in a foreign country with a misunderstanding about your pay and benefits. The US embassy can be of help, but how much depends upon the political situation and how naive you have been.

The contract should detail your salary, when you will receive it, and benefits, including things like housing, time off, if the contract may be broken and the penalties if the contract is broken. Know your tax situation. The general rule regarding exemption from payment of US income taxes for expatriates is living outside of the US for 330 days to establish foreign residency and making less than $77,000 per year. Yes, Uncle Sam lets you keep your earnings — but don’t forget to find out if your country of residence has an income tax to which you would be subject.

Now, for the "What" question — what was it like to work overseas? The short answer is that it was a terrific experience and, yes, I would do it again. However, it was not all exciting and wonderful. There was a lot of stress from a constant stream of new people and experiences, and feeling "stupid" trying to learn how to function in a new culture, with a strange language and new political system. For the first month at work my biggest dread was answering the telephone! What an adventure that was. I did not have a clue what people were talking about — both subject matter and due to heavy accents and broken English. More than once I had to have a caller spell word by word what he/she was saying to me!

The experience broadened my outlook on the world and my place in it. I am now riveted by international affairs and much of it hits me at a more personal level. I traveled in over 15 countries, some by myself. I became a confident, knowledgeable traveler. I have pride in knowing that my clinical laboratory skills and knowledge were used to help people in other countries. The personal and professional growth I experienced was the icing on the cake.

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Reviewed and updated 1-07.