Locums for a Small World Blog

Jesse Black

Recent Posts

Leaving New Zealand: The Taylors say so long to feijoa fruit, friends & more

Posted by Jesse Black

On the eve of their departure from New Zealand, Kenneth Taylor, MD and Lori Taylor, MD, along with their two boys, Gavin and Griffin, sat down and penned a heartfelt last entry for their family blog:

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Locums: Meet Australia's rebel with some claws

Posted by Jesse Black

Calling a Koala a “bear” is like calling a Grizzly, “Steve.” You do so at your own risk. This cuddly ball of fur is adorable, but it has claws and opposable thumbs. Plus, it's not a bear; it's a marsupial that carries its young in a pouch. Known in scientific circles as Phascolarctus cinereus (ash-grey pouched bear), the Koala is an Australian icon and much more.

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'Tis the season for tailgating

Posted by Jesse Black

Ahh, September, the most wonderful time of the year. Cool breezes and changing leaves signal the start of autumn while caravans of SUVs haul the kiddies off to school, much to the delight of parents everywhere. Weekends devoted to raking endless piles of leaves are interrupted by high-fives and belly-bumps as the clock is reset for America’s favorite past time – and we’re not talking about baseball.

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Now casting: Locum anglers

Posted by Jesse Black

Fall is often referred to as fly fishing’s “forgotten season.” Many anglers choose to put away their rods and reels in exchange for the upcoming football and hunting seasons or other pursuits, leaving prime fishing holes nearly vacant.

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All work and no play makes Bentch a dull doctor

Posted by Jesse Black

Nowhere in Dr. Leonard Bentch's CV does it mention his knack for writing, but his talents extend well beyond Internal Medicine. A retired physician, Dr. Bentch was sailing the Caribbean when he received a call that took him on a six-month locum adventure with his wife, Sue. He recently put his many remembrances to paper, and we're proud to present the last of the three-part series here (if you missed the first installments, read them here and there.)

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"Mister" Bentch goes to NZ: A locum Down Under, Part II

Posted by Jesse Black

Nowhere in Dr. Leonard Bentch's CV does it mention his knack for writing, but his talents extend well beyond Internal Medicine. A retired physician, Dr. Bentch was sailing the Caribbean when he received a call that took him on a six-month locum adventure with his wife, Sue. He recently put his many remembrances to paper, and we're proud to present the second of three installments here. (If you missed the first installment, you can read it now).

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Slow down and locum in the prune-popping, hippie-loving California Sutter Buttes

Posted by Jesse Black

Along a gravel road in the Sutter Butte mountain range of Northern California, nestled between an arching hillside and a babbling brook, stands a sign that reads, "Time to Slow Down."

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Retired doctor sets sail in Caribbean, but locum winds blow him to New Zealand

Posted by Jesse Black

Nowhere in Dr. Leonard Bentch's CV does it mention his knack for writing, but his talents extend well beyond Internal Medicine. A retired physician, Dr. Bentch was sailing the Caribbean when he received a call that took him on a six-month locum adventure with his wife, Sue. He recently put his many remembrances to paper, and we're proud to present the first of three installments here.

Twenty miles off the Coast of Martinique Island in the Caribbean, at the beginning of a two-month sail of the Windward Islands and the Grenadines, we recieved a phone call on a cell phone we'd brought along in case of emergencies. We did not expect to hear the voice of a Global Medical recruiter on the other line, but there they were, asking if we'd be interested in a six-month locum position in New Zealand. Recently retired from active practice, I'd forgotten that I'd completed a GMS application several months earlier. I looked at my wife; we smiled, and quickly concurred.

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