With the cold and wet Northern Ireland winter almost over, many people will have started fantasising about life in sunnier climes. We report our experience of a year spent working in Australia with pointers for those who are planning or dreaming of doing the same.
Preparing to go…
Several agencies and hospitals advertise posts in the medical journals. Alternatively, as we did, one may obtain hospital contact details and approach the human resources department directly. The usual process of submitting application forms and curriculum vitae followed with telephone interviews if short-listed… expect calls in the early hours of the morning and be prepared for the surreal experience of taking a cheery Australian consultant through your CV while half asleep! Delighted at having obtained the positions of our choice at a large teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia we thought the rest would be plain sailing. However, hours were spent obtaining and completing the documents necessary to practise medicine in Australia and it is important to allow plenty of time- we began preparations six months prior to going. A temporary resident visa is required- this can be applied for following offer of a job from an Australian hospital. All the forms needed for the visas and medicals are available online from the Australian immigration department.
On arrival…
We would advise if possible, to arrive two weeks before starting work. This allows time to recover from jet-lag, fill out yet more forms and sort out essentials like accommodation, bank account and mode of transport. You must present to the state medical board to get an equivalent of the General Medical Council certificate. Obtain a tax file number to avoid emergency tax.
The job…
Australia has an impressive health system with an excellent combination of public and private healthcare. Approximately 60-70% of the population have private health insurance which visibly reduces the strain on the public sector. Waiting lists for investigations and treatments are shorter than in Northern Ireland which makes for a pleasant and rewarding work environment. When we arrived in August, the hospital was in the midst of their winter bed crisis… consisting of two trolley waits in the Emergency Department (A&E)! Most conditions are those typically seen in Western countries with a number of issues particular to the indigenous population (the Aborigines) who have a life-expectancy in the mid-forties. Access to health services is difficult- many of the Aboriginal patients we met lived in remote communities in the outback, some having travelled up to four hours by air to reach hospital. History taking from such individuals was a fascinating experience, particularly social and dietary history- we hadn't been previously aware that witchety grubs were so high in protein or that a certain type of green ant will provide over the RDA of vitamin C!
It had been our ambition since medical school to work and travel in Australia. We found that a certain degree of courage is required to step off the traditional ladder of senior house officer and registrar rotations here in Northern Ireland. However, the experience gained- both personal and professional is invaluable.