By Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP
In the summer of 2007, after fifteen years of full-time emergency medicine practice, I decided to treat myself to a year off. The relentless pressures of twelve-hour shifts in a busy Florida ER were beginning to take their toll and I was overdue for a rest.
My long-standing marriage had ended and the thought of living on my own resulted in both excitement and a modicum of trepidation. After a few months off, having time to myself to regroup and savor some of life's simple pleasures began to feel exquisitely therapeutic.
Perhaps I would just retire and concentrate on writing and developing my website. But like most ER doctors, the challenges and satisfaction of treating patients still held a certain appeal, so at the end of the year, when a job opportunity in New Zealand with Global Medical Staffing presented itself, I said an enthusiastic yes to travel and to adventure.
Picturesque Wanganui sits on a meandering river on the southwestern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The city's population of almost 40,000 is comprised mainly of European descendents and of Maori, New Zealand's indigenous people. The warm welcome I received both at the hospital and in the community proved to be an omen for things to come.
Most international flights enter New Zealand at its largest city, Auckland. With 1.4 million
of the country's total population of 4.3 million, Auckland is indeed a modern and stimulating city.
Foreign doctors arriving to work in New Zealand are required to meet with a representative of the NZ Medical Council before being granted a final license to practice. This requirement gave me a day to explore the "City of Sails" before flying on to Wanganui. Having arrived in September, spring in the southern hemisphere, I was treated to sunny weather, perfect for walking around the Auckland waterfront.
New Zealanders have been ranked as among the happiest people in the world. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has visited that enchanted South Pacific island nation. Everywhere the visitor is greeted to down-home hospitality, friendly faces and some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. Add in delicious food, some of the best hotel accommodations anywhere, low crimes rates and a high standard of living and it's easy to see why one visit, even a six-month-long one, will never be enough.
New Zealand enjoys a modern health care system with state of the art medical practices. Free health care to citizens includes Accident and Emergency (A&E, i.e. ER) and in-hospital care, lab and x-ray, pregnancy and childbirth services, specialist care and subsidized prescription medications. School children get free dental care.
Though all modern medical technologies are available and are utilized, there seems to be less reliance on CT's etc. and more emphasis on history and physical exam. Remember those days?
Specialists willingly come to the ER to evaluate patients and surgeons never ask "What did the CAT scan show?" when you call regarding a patient with abdominal pain. The surgeon comes and sees the patient. It is felt that a person should not be exposed to the radiation of a CT scan just because the on-call surgeon doesn't want to be inconvenienced.
Almost all patients have a doctor in town, a GP (general practitioner). When discharging patients from the ER one knows that follow-up care will be provided. This spirit of community support and concern for the welfare of others is typical of New Zealand.
Locum doctors are not highly paid in the land down under, but most are provided with free use of a vehicle, accommodations and transportation to and from the country. (Global Medical Staffing tells doctors that their assignments are "self-contained" sabbaticals that will not cost you anything, but you won't really bring any money home.) And doctors are not sued, though one can be reported by a patient to the health board.
So, if you can afford to take a six-to-twelve month break from your current ER job, there is no doubt you would be welcomed with open arms. You'll not regret your decision to experience emergency medicine in the land the Maori call "Aotearoa" (Land of the Long White Cloud).
To find the life-enriching locum experience of your dreams in New Zealand, Australia, or the U.S., call a recruiter at 1.800.760.3174 (for International assignments) or 1.866.858.6269 (for Domestic assignments). If you have your own locum story to share, please email us at doctors@gmedical.com - and don't forget to subscribe to our blog! Simply enter your email address in the box to the right.
Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP is an emergency doctor and a Fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She looks forward to other assignments with Global Medical in the Land of the Long White Cloud in the near future. She has been practicing emergency medicine for more than sixteen years, and has her own website where you can read more about her.
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