Sidra Medical

Hi Everyone, I am in an interesting proposition. I recently got a great job offer with Sidra and was in the process of visa application. I have not yet signed my contract but have received all the paper work etc. I currently am based in the UK and after I heard the news of the contractors leaving Sidra, and the delays etc.. I started applying for other jobs in the UK. I have just got the job for a higher paid job than the one I'm currently doing but its fixed term with possibility of extension (nhs status in most trusts at present!) Should I try to renegotiate or let things be? The fixed term will take me into April at the least. Sidra has matched my pre-tax pay from my current employer to there basic but it will be less than what I will be getting in my new job. The only reason why I am considering renegotiation is because Qatar is relatively expensive place to live probably more so for a single lone person as you will need to spend money to try and get out and meet people! What to do? Any thoughts will be much appreciated. I’m excited about Qatar (once the actual journey begins); I just hope it’s not a lonely dream! lol

Thank you for your insight advices. How far is Al Rayyan Oasis from Sidra? How far is it from West Bay? Cornice? I agree with Rubyblue that living, working, and commuting with the same people could be bit much, however, I think it is the best to live in the prearranged housing for a month-two and then see what are better options. How much does two bedroom apartment cost in West Bay or Pearl? Or what neighborhood would you recommend for a couple without kids? It is quite a way out - you would have to get a taxi everywhere as there is nothing else there that you can walk to- there is a bus from the compound to work and back though

Rubyblue and Parkclark, Thank you for your insight advices. How far is Al Rayyan Oasis from Sidra? How far is it from West Bay? Cornice? I agree with Rubyblue that living, working, and commuting with the same people could be bit much, however, I think it is the best to live in the prearranged housing for a month-two and then see what are better options. How much does two bedroom apartment cost in West Bay or Pearl? Or what neighborhood would you recommend for a couple without kids? Parkclark, What role does your husband have in Sidra? You mentioned working long hours? I spoke with two of my colleagues that are already there, and they said there is no overtime and that they really like it there. One has been there for two years and another for 11 months. Also, after what time was your husband able to take time off? I should definitely ask about this. Abby86, Congratulation on your successful interview. There is a lot of paperwork that you need to submit so do not be freaked out by this. I am still submitting my paperwork (last two pieces: a letter of a good standing from my credentialing agency and getting my BLS certificate renewed before my visa is finalized). I got my offer before reference check, however, yes the recruiter check my references and also a third party agency is checking my references/criminal background now again. There is really a lot of paperwork, however, I think this is how it should be. There should be all this paperwork as they want to make sure that people that they are bringing are qualified. When I was moving in the USA from Europe ten years ago, I went through overwhelming amount of paperwork as well so for me this is not surprise. It would not be good if they were not doing all these checks and requesting all this paperwork to be quite honest. In terms of work before the hospital opens, I was also told that I will be working on policy development and recruiting people. As I mentioned above, I was connected with two of my colleagues that are already in Sidra and they said the same. They both also mentioned that there is a lot of work as they need to get the hospital ready for the patients and they said it is very interesting and unique opportunity to see all the work that needs to be done before the hospital can open.

Personally with that company I would hold off getting excited until the visa is in your passport!!!

I got an e-mail this morning to say that I was successful in the interview (7 weeks later), but they require more paperwork to formulate an offer, and want to check my references. Has this been the normal process??? Should I hold off on getting too excited until I see an offer?

Dependant on area really but on the popular compounds near Al Waab you could be looking at anything between 14-18 for a 4 or 5 bed villa-possibly more to be honest- going out a bit further towards industrial areas it is possible for around the 12000 mark but you would have a lot further to travel.West bay lagoon or Al rayyan Village you're looking at 25000 -ouch !! There is a degree of collaboration going on between Hamad and Sidra but nothing that is set up as yet in any formal way. To be honest what the recruiters tell you ( they are given a very clear directive on what they tell the candidates as in all companies ! ) and what happens in reality can be in practice very different when you actually arrive here and as everyone has said the recruitment process can be long and dragged out for months- all very stressful when you have possibly have families and childrens schooling to consider. I would also agree that it can be very hard for partners to achieve well paid employment whilst they are here as they would then be under your sponsorship and considered local hire. None of this is intended to put anyone off as it can be a great place to live and work and well paid salaries can and will be achieved but you do need to come with your eyes wide open to the potential pitfalls... <em>edited by rubyblue on 11/08/2014</em>

Really something to think about Ruby. Being a year or more out of clinical practice could really have an impact on things like licenses and such. I asked in my interview what work I'd be doing prior to the opening and they said that it would be quite busy with policy development, hiring new staff and basically getting the dept set up and running, but I wonder how busy that would really be, especially if the opening is more than a year away. ;( Klaraleva...what were you told in this regard since you'll be there soon? Also following this with much interest. I think you should also be careful if you need to practice medically as it is very well known in Doha that the hospital will definately NOT open next march as planned and will be considerably delayed by up to a minimum year and possibly longer ! Many people have already come and left already as they need to keep the clinical practice active.. Al Rayyan Oasis is nice enough but quite a long way out of Doha and also do you really want to travel in on a bus ,work and live with your work colleagues- maybe a bit intense for some people ! Rent prices as stated are very high here and the allowance is likely not high enough to get you a place in a area you want so that can eat into your base salary if you need to supplement it. <em>edited by abby86 on 11/08/2014</em>

Rubyblue I heard that they will be using other functioning hospitals to keep clinical practices up? How high are the rents really for a 4/5 bed villa? Do you know the housing allowance range?

Also following this with much interest. I think you should also be careful if you need to practice medically as it is very well known in Doha that the hospital will definately NOT open next march as planned and will be considerably delayed by up to a minimum year and possibly longer ! Many people have already come and left already as they need to keep the clinical practice active.. Al Rayyan Oasis is nice enough but quite a long way out of Doha and also do you really want to travel in on a bus ,work and live with your work colleagues- maybe a bit intense for some people ! Rent prices as stated are very high here and the allowance is likely not high enough to get you a place in a area you want so that can eat into your base salary if you need to supplement it.

Thank you ParkClark for the advice. Are you with Sidra?

Hi Ladies, I hope you are all successful in your getting the jobs. I would like to ask you to follow what is going on with the new contractor taking over at Sidra(google them) & construction progress. Mary Catherine gave you a lot of good & important information. If the hospital doesn't get finished for a year or more then you will be left waiting around so it is important to keep yourselves informed. Many companies have either quit or gone broke, or been replaced because of business practices here. When you are negotiating, please check out any assigned housing as it may not be to your taste, or conveniently located. If offered a housing allowance be sure it is an extremely good one. You may want to look up posts regarding that. What you think is a good amount, may not be for here as housing & food costs are the most expensive items we have to pay for. EG housing - 2 bed apartment can range from 6,000 - 20,000QAR/month depending on the area, & furnished or unfurnished. If you have a spouse who wants to work I would try & get that lined up, or be in negotiations, before you sign because it is hard to find a job once they are here. The hiring process is a long process with many delays, paperwork getting lost etc. (My husbands took 5 months!) Then there is at least another month of doing the final paperwork, x-rays etc here for all your cards (while you are trying to work). Also be prepared to be working very long long hours. Not trying to be negative but it is a reality & it is best to be informed as much as possible before making the move & finding out things when you get here. (eg scrimping or living in a place you hate because housing allowance is too low). Also check out when you can start taking leave because some contracts are longer than others. I've been here only 19 months & have seen many people come & go. (I believe Mary Catherine has been here much longer.)Good luck.

Hi Abby86, I can choose if I want to live in SIDRA's arranged housing or to get housing allowance. I choose prearranged housing for the beginning as I do not want to deal with searching for an apartment when I first move...I was told I will be located in Al Rayyn Oasis - it looks nice. Latter on I might decide to take housing allowance ( I am not sure how much is this). I am married, however, my husband is currently looking for a job there too. We are planing for him to move ~2-3 months after me. My basic salary offer is higher than what I currently make pre-tax. I got a very generous offer.

Hi Klareleva, I noticed your job offer was for a supervisor position in allied health, I'd be in the same boat, just in a different profession. Still no offer, but still trying to predict what they might offer. Did you get a housing allowance or prearranged housing? And are you a single or married? I plan to relocate by myself with my husband maybe coming in the 2nd year. Just trying to get a feel for a potential offer. You also said they offered more than what you currently make, pre tax? Was that including all benefits or just your base salary? Kind regards. Fauna, I received my provisional offer end of April and after I send negotiation letter, Sidra responded within a day. I submitted all of my documentation necessary for visa application by mid June, so right before Ramadan and that is why visa processing is taking time. My recruiter told me during Ramadan majority of Sidra's employees were off therefore everything was moving really slow. I am not in any rush anyway. Good luck with your negotiation! Bambii, I agree with you that Sidra will at least meet your current pretax salary and I do not think that they do not want Americans. They just look for qualified people mostly from western countries.

Has anyone had the experience of an interview and then a very long wait to hear that they did NOT get the job?

I agree the lack of information and the extremely long time frames which seem to be never ending is the most frustrating part of the process..But many have said that once it happens, it happens very quickly. HOwever it is a very long process which is quite foreign to those in the west. I guess its just part of the package of relocating to a different part of the world.

Am hanging on Bambii...just would like to know if I was even successful. I did send an email this past week to see if the position had been filled. They did reply to say that the process was still ongoing and that they were hoping to have more information soon.... but it was very vague. After 6 weeks, I figured if I was out, I'd have known by now, so no news is good news I guess. I'd be glad to share my negotiation experience....should I get to that point ;) Government offices just started work yesterday (Tuesday 5th) including Sidra after a 11 day holiday for Eid. Hang in there Abby86 :) Am at my last stage and waiting visa which has been over 5 weeks now and hoping it will come through this week. Its down to the wire, school is starting soon! In terms of time frame, it was quite a few weeks between interview and offer. I dont think its a one man decision but that they have group meetings etc..it all takes time! I think its good to make contact, kind of reminding them you are still there ;) ie hope you had a great holiday and just checking on progress.... Can anyone share some negotiation tips ? edited by abby86 on 06/08/2014 <em>edited by abby86 on 06/08/2014</em>

Government offices just started work yesterday (Tuesday 5th) including Sidra after a 11 day holiday for Eid. Hang in there Abby86 :) Am at my last stage and waiting visa which has been over 5 weeks now and hoping it will come through this week. Its down to the wire, school is starting soon! In terms of time frame, it was quite a few weeks between interview and offer. I dont think its a one man decision but that they have group meetings etc..it all takes time! I think its good to make contact, kind of reminding them you are still there ;) ie hope you had a great holiday and just checking on progress.... Can anyone share some negotiation tips ?

I interviewed for a position at the end of June and was not expecting to hear anything through Ramadan or Eid, but it's now been 6 weeks and still no news. Getting anxious to see where I stand and what a provisional offer may be. I gave my pre-tax salary for my current position, however I have applied for a position supervisor with more responsibility that I have now, so I am hoping the offer would reflect that. I am worried, however, after reading some posts that salary may be lower than I am anticipating, and that it may be several more weeks before I hear. I am also gathering that negotiations are becoming more the norm after the initial offer? Hoping to hear some news soon. Anyone have similar experiences of such a long wait between interview and an offer? Fauna, I received my provisional offer end of April and after I send negotiation letter, Sidra responded within a day. I submitted all of my documentation necessary for visa application by mid June, so right before Ramadan and that is why visa processing is taking time. My recruiter told me during Ramadan majority of Sidra's employees were off therefore everything was moving really slow. I am not in any rush anyway. Good luck with your negotiation! Bambii, I agree with you that Sidra will at least meet your current pretax salary and I do not think that they do not want Americans. They just look for qualified people mostly from western countries. edited by abby86 on 05/08/2014 <em>edited by abby86 on 05/08/2014</em>

Fauna, I received my provisional offer end of April and after I send negotiation letter, Sidra responded within a day. I submitted all of my documentation necessary for visa application by mid June, so right before Ramadan and that is why visa processing is taking time. My recruiter told me during Ramadan majority of Sidra's employees were off therefore everything was moving really slow. I am not in any rush anyway. Good luck with your negotiation! Bambii, I agree with you that Sidra will at least meet your current pretax salary and I do not think that they do not want Americans. They just look for qualified people mostly from western countries.

Hi everyone From my experience, SIdra will at least meet what you currently earn. Was offered same salary (pretax) plus benefits. So i think its reasonable to negotiate before refusing a position, and you may even want to show proof of salary earned. I dont think its true that they dont want Americans. I think they very much want westerners. Dont forget that most of the admin staff are expats like us!

Happyfamilies, I am not sure what position have you applied for, however, I was offered a very competitive salary from Sidra, ~$30,000/year more than I make in NYC, including all other benefits. I was not looking for a new job, but a recruiter found me on Linked In and contacted me first... After my Skype interview with Sidra people they seem to really want me so after the first offer (which was also good) I negotiated and got what I wanted... Currently, I am in the process of getting my visa now and should be ready to move sometimes in October. Klaraleva, That's good that it went well for you. Just wondering, when did you received your provisional offer? Is it before or during Ramadan? How soon did they reply to your negotiation, a week or a month? I'm planning to do the same. I doubt if it's that same chief who decides what pay grades goes to each profession. It appears that the recent latest provisional offers sent were below expectations?? :)

Happyfamilies, I am not sure what position have you applied for, however, I was offered a very competitive salary from Sidra, ~$30,000/year more than I make in NYC, including all other benefits. I was not looking for a new job, but a recruiter found me on Linked In and contacted me first... After my Skype interview with Sidra people they seem to really want me so after the first offer (which was also good) I negotiated and got what I wanted... Currently, I am in the process of getting my visa now and should be ready to move sometimes in October.

Wow . . . that's crazy. I interviewed at the end of May and was told I was hired a few weeks later. However it took over a month to get an offer in writing and it was approximately $30,000 (US dollars) less per year than what had been mentioned during my interview.... I got an offer today. But it appears the company starts to offer a low ball. The basic salary is less than US$ 20k per year from my present job. Is this becoming a trend in there or am I being "Arab bargained style" that I need to negotiate? How will they be able to hire the best and the brightest from developed countries. What happens to competitive salary offer? About vacation days, will it be like Bahrain or Dubai that after the probationary period ( 6 months)you are entitled to avail for it? Or do you need to complete a year of attendance before you can file for a much awaited month long of R & R (rest and recreation)? Thanks. Yes, I have wondered about this because I can't understand why they reject people from jobs they are highly qualified from and then tell them to apply to things that are far from their experience level, but maybe it has to do with outsourcing HR jobs and someone does not know what people do in the US. The other thing is that top candidates in the US often have to be distinguished by higher education and leadership. My family is from England but we are Americans, but I spent a good part of my youth in the UK. It seems like SIDRA is taking Americans last but only the most qualified yet offers them UK style salaries which are much lower than the US in my field. I am getting called by academic centers and renowned institutions in the US, but SIDRA considers me for much lower positions than what I am qualified to do. It seems Americans are the very last they are interviewing. So either they do not want to pay American salaries for comparable positions at SIDRA, or they are not truly interested in bringing diverse talent from the US. I have not seen a salary offer yet, has anyone negotiated back? edited by happyfamilies on 04/08/2014 <em>edited by happyfamilies on 04/08/2014</em>

Wow . . . that's crazy. I interviewed at the end of May and was told I was hired a few weeks later. However it took over a month to get an offer in writing and it was approximately $30,000 (US dollars) less per year than what had been mentioned during my interview.... I got an offer today. But it appears the company starts to offer a low ball. The basic salary is less than US$ 20k per year from my present job. Is this becoming a trend in there or am I being "Arab bargained style" that I need to negotiate? How will they be able to hire the best and the brightest from developed countries. What happens to competitive salary offer? About vacation days, will it be like Bahrain or Dubai that after the probationary period ( 6 months)you are entitled to avail for it? Or do you need to complete a year of attendance before you can file for a much awaited month long of R & R (rest and recreation)? Thanks.

Very good advice MaryCatherine! How true for Qatar.

Based on past experiences, please be sure you make sure you and your family are able to wait until the project is completed to the point where they are actually bringing people in (i.e. don't quit your current job until you have your plane ticket and entry visa in hand). Qatar has a poor reputation for completing anything on time - the airport being a case in point - it is still not complete and is now 6+ years behind schedule. When they canned the previous contractor on that project the authorities refused entry to the site to the new contractor for the better part of a year and then blamed the new contractor for the continuing delay. If you google various projects around the country you will find that most projects are at least 3+ years behind schedule if not more. Private initiatives also have similar problems, mostly because of the lag time waiting for inspections or approvals (IKEA is a case in point). I don't want to discourage you but this is the environment in Qatar. It's not that the contractors don't want to complete the job on time, but the continuous changes to specs cause the delays - the major contractor on the expressway finally walked away from the project because of the changes coupled with the refusal of the government entity to make payments.

Yes,that is what I have heard is that after Ramadan a new company will take over with stringent deadline management. It could be better or worse, and time will tell. Time has a way of clarifying things. I looked it up and found even here in the US I can take the Prometrics test (when/if needed). In all reality,I would like to go to Qatar because it is all Women's Health oriented and innovative, which is my specific field. If I can't go to Qatar then I will try to go to another Middle Eastern country, but I love the innovative style and vision. I have not had mix ups, but outside I had a lot of non-SIDRA recruiters tell me things like they did not think I could even interview for a position in Qatar if I was from the US so it's nice to hear SIDRA telling me that I am qualified and they want people from the US too. I do believe that all things happen for a reason and I will end up where I need to be, so yes it can be good or bad that these changes have come up. Part of OB is the unpredictability and adventure... <em>edited by happyfamilies on 23/07/2014</em>

This may not necessarily be a bad thing? Maybe it will mean that the hospital will now actually open. They would not sack a company unless they had another company lined up to go. I hope ....

Wow . . . that's crazy. I interviewed at the end of May and was told I was hired a few weeks later. However it took over a month to get an offer in writing and it was approximately $30,000 (US dollars) less per year than what had been mentioned during my interview. The email mix ups have continued and after some serious introspection, thoughts, and discussions with friends and family I have decided to withdraw my application. Good luck and best wishes to those continuing to pursue this. I just got too nervous that these continued email mixups were going to evolve into larger real world mixups during my relocation.

For those looking for work at Sidra, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but expect considerable additional delays. http://dohanews.co/sources-qatars-delayed-sidra-hospital-sacks-construction-contractor/ I saw this on my twitter feed and my heart sank! Anyone hear anything from sidra or their recruiter about what this means?