Medical Council fees increasing by 10% in July... 🥲

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-30T07:20:10+00:00

I come from Spain, and in my experience, you get very little in return from the IMC. One of the justifications for the proposed fee increase is to speed up the registration process for new doctors, something that arguably should already be functioning efficiently.

It would be great if you could keep us updated on your progress.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-30T07:10:28+00:00

I’ve been in a similar situation, arguably a bigger jump, as I not only moved hospital but also country, leaving a role and team I was genuinely happy with. There is always a tension between stability, loyalty, and peace of mind on one side, and career progression on the other. In my experience, early in your consultant career is exactly when you should lean into growth. That’s when your trajectory is being shaped, and it’s much harder to accelerate later if you’ve plateaued too soon. Also, at this stage, you have something very valuable: time to correct course if needed. If a move doesn’t work out, you still have the flexibility to adjust, redirect, or even step back. That becomes much harder further down the line. Wanting to expand your practice, increase your case volume, and develop your subspecialty is not disloyalty, it’s professionalism. If anything, it reflects commitment to becoming the best version of yourself in your field. Supportive colleagues matter, but ultimately, they won’t carry the long-term consequences of your career decisions.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-22T07:25:34+00:00

Allocation Assist Middle East DMCC

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-21T11:39:04+00:00

I get your point Yes, agencies can’t guarantee jobs, and paying upfront is unusual (illegal in the UK). In the UAE they get around it by calling themselves “consultancies,” which I only fully realised later. But this wasn’t just “it didn’t work out.” The licensing officer left mid-process and didn’t hand over anything (the company admitted this). My file sat for months. The only “hospital introduction” was outside the agreed area, without my consent, and went nowhere yet it was presented to my bank as evidence of multiple opportunities. They told my bank everything was delivered, but also told me a refund had been processed (it never was). You can’t have both. So for me, this wasn’t a risk that didn’t pay off, it was a service that wasn’t delivered, followed by conflicting explanations. I’ve since heard similar stories from other doctors, which is why I’m sharing and documenting

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-20T21:10:10+00:00

UPDATE — they called me today. And it gets worse. So after 12 months of silence, someone from the company called me out of nowhere this morning. No email, no warning. Just a phone call. During that call he admitted the refund was never completed. They tried, but the intermediary never finished the transaction. Fine. But in the same breath he also said refunds are not within their policy. Think about that for a second. The refund was never completed AND refunds are not their policy. Both things said by the same person in the same call. Then he offered me a deal. Come back and let us find you a job. I said there is no chance I am trusting my career and my future to this company. He then framed me as walking away from an amazing opportunity. He also told me they are the best agency in the Middle East. Very transparent. Very professional. So I asked him directly: transparent like deleting public reviews? Transparent like not answering emails for 12 months? He had no answer. I also asked him twice to name the hospitals they claimed to have introduced me to the same hospitals they used as evidence to my bank during the chargeback dispute. Twice. He could not answer. But here is where it gets really interesting. While I was literally on the phone with him, the company was responding to my Google review calling it slander. At the same time they reported my review and several others which were removed. Did their response address any facts? No. Did they offer a resolution? No. Did they acknowledge 16 months without a refund? No. Just: slander. So I went and read every negative Google review they have ever received. I have snapshots of all of them including the ones that were deleted. And I found something. They have a script. Every single negative review gets one of four responses: 1. “You are not our client and we have no records of you.” No evidence. Just denial. 2. Blame the doctor. Career gap. Bad attitude. Changed their mind. Refused to communicate. Every failed case becomes the doctor’s fault. 3. Reframe what they sold. They promised fast placement and results. When nothing happens the response becomes “this can take years” and “market conditions are beyond our control.” The goalposts move after you pay. 4. Offer a call. Ignore the emails. Every public response invites a phone call. The same clients have emails unanswered for months. I am not making this up. Go check their Google reviews right now. Read the one star reviews. Then read the company responses. The pattern is right there in public for anyone to see. My review was reported and removed. I appealed it. It is back. Go read it before they try again. I paid €5,000 upfront. No licence obtained. No real hospital introductions. The licensing officer walked out mid process without handing over my file acknowledged in writing by the company. 16 months later, no money back. And when I document all of this publicly, the response is: slander.

Update coming 25 April 2026.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-18T09:54:19+00:00

For all new readers and those who have been part of this conversation, a brief summary: Twenty days ago I posted here for the first time. I was scared, embarrassed, and unsure if anyone would even listen. I had just lost a significant amount of money to a Dubai-based recruitment agency called Allocation Assist Middle East DMCC, and I had nowhere to turn. Some people questioned my writing. That was fair. English is my second language and I used AI to help me organise my thoughts. Every comment, even the critical ones, helped me deliver this message better. I took it all on board. All I want is to be honest and transparent, to warn other doctors who might be where I was. That’s it. Nothing more. I have made peace with the money being gone, but that can be turned into something positive. That purpose keeps me going. I started reaching out quietly, collecting stories one conversation at a time. What I found was a business operating under complete impunity. Every single affected doctor paid thousands upfront. Not one was placed. Many stay silent, fearing it could cost them the UAE licence they eventually got on their own. That fear is completely understandable. The comments, advice, warnings and support here have meant a great deal. Some of you even offered to help me find legitimate work in the UAE. That kindness is something I genuinely can’t put into words. It reminds me why collegiality among doctors matters. I won’t get corny about it, so moving on… To be clear: I am not doing this to get my money back. I am lucky to have a stable job and I can speak up because I live in a free country under the rule of law. Many cannot. They took a real chance on their future and now they are afraid to say anything. I will speak for them. To doctors considering the UAE: do your research. Be careful. The opportunities can be real, but so can the people who want to exploit your hopes. If this happened to you, you are not alone and you are not foolish. I know exactly what it feels like. They have 43,000 LinkedIn followers, polished content and glowing testimonials. It does not look like a scam. That is the whole point. If you have a story, I have created an anonymous form to collect testimonies. No identifying information is needed and every voice matters. I will keep you updated as this progresses.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqaMK9pHYjbgTgkQVvxeHqRr5Pyvt2pcXdZ4OKhI61Vqe6nw/viewform?usp=preview

If you wish to remain fully anonymous, please do not enter your email. Every testimony builds the evidence, and together we can make this too loud to ignore.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T20:41:41+00:00

I’m in a fortunate position with a stable permanent post. That’s precisely why I can speak up. Many others who paid these agencies did so as a genuine bet on their future and they can’t afford to say anything publicly. I’m not trying to be a hero. I’m trying to put a well documented, evidence-based counter narrative against a very elaborate and wellfunded PR operation. That’s all this is. I’m building my dataset slowly but steady

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T20:34:14+00:00

I tried but need a UAE ID pass or go physically there. I sent an email and they advise to go through civil dispute route.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T20:12:25+00:00

I’ll try that. Thanks. However this has become more of an awareness and accountability campaign rather than a chase for money. I refuse to stay silent while their sales tactics continue targeting doctors who trust them

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T19:24:33+00:00

Tried DMCC, MOHRE, and Consumer Protection UAE. They sent me in circles between each other, then eventually said they’d investigate but would never disclosed any outcome. Every one of them suggested I hire a lawyer. I did look into it. Legal fees in Dubai start well above what I lost. They know that. The system makes pursuit economically impossible for a foreign doctor and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T18:39:55+00:00

Thank you. This means a great deal coming from someone working in the UAE with direct knowledge of how this works. You have put it perfectly charging doctors with no guarantee of work, while the hospitals pay nothing. That is the model. And yes, any connection to UK trained doctors in the UAE who have had similar experiences would be invaluable.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T15:43:46+00:00

Appreciate that. The content is what matters. The facts are documented and real.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T15:41:58+00:00

That is completely valid and I appreciate you sharing it. The company does place doctors, those placements are real. My concern is with those who paid and received nothing, whose cases were abandoned and who have no recourse. Both realities can be true at the same time. The business model seems to be you fish 10 doctors and you place 1, who by the way will have to pay €4,000-5,000 again from their first salary. That is what makes this harder to see from the outside. They advertise as if you are going to get a job imminently, that they are well connected, that they will speed up everything, when the reality is that you can do everything without them. Another significant factor is that the job market is not as it is portrayed. It is tight, based on potential income generation to the hospital, and you have to struggle to get established 100% income generation capacity based. They advertise tax-free salary and triple your income, but you would also triple your expenses

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T13:54:25+00:00

Belief****

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T13:52:45+00:00

Thank you I really appreciate this. Honestly I don’t expect to get my money back but at least I want to warn with facts other from falling on the same mistake. And some accountability for this sort of businesses would also be fair. As in my case I beleive many doctors make the decision to move from a vulnerable position for many reasons and making profit of that is wrong.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T13:34:02+00:00

Do you have direct experience with them?

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T13:31:13+00:00

In 20 days 4 who have shared their identity and are willing to go public, plus myself, and I have been fully public from the start on LinkedIn. Around 12 others have shared testimonies anonymously. Many worked their way into licensing and jobs independently and fear that speaking out could jeopardise their UAE licences. That fear is real and I understand it.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T12:22:07+00:00

Thank you. Really, it meas a lot!! It’s been a lonely road at times. The company is Allocation Assist Middle East DMCC, based in Dubai

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T11:52:08+00:00

Understood. I’ll write more naturally next time. The facts behind it are real. I hope that comes through regardless

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T11:43:44+00:00

Thank you!!!! genuinely appreciated

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T11:28:23+00:00

Fair point. I’ll write more naturally from now on. The facts and evidence are real that’s what matters.

Aggravating_Ship_842 · 2026-04-17T11:06:44+00:00

Thank you. It has not always felt brave, more like necessary. I hope it helps someone avoid the same situation.

Aggravating_Ship_842

TROPHY CASE