Stories and inspiration from exceptional doctors

Our Doctors

General Surgeon Kevin Naidoo has been working as a locum surgeon in [New Zealand](https://medrecruit.medworld.com/articles/discovering-life-and-work-as-a-doctor-in-small-town-new-zealand) for more than ten years. 

Originally from South Africa, he’s travelled the world while working as a surgeon, seeking better experiences and a better lifestyle for himself and his family. 

## Training to be a surgeon in South Africa

“Surgical training was pretty onerous. There was no cut off for the number of hours you could do in a stretch, so you could be going for 80 hours at least. But that was part and parcel of what you had to do back then to become a surgeon. It was hard, but I enjoyed it because I knew that was what I wanted to do. 

“But the support from senior doctors was very good, it was collegial. I suppose because they knew you would become the next generation that would be looking after their children and grandchildren.” 

Dr Kevin explains that South Africa’s larger population, with more cars on the road, meant more trauma. Limited access to tertiary facilities and in some cases, a laid-back attitude, also meant that disease presentations were late. 

“You’d see a lot of diseases which are more advanced, partly because people live rurally and partly because of that (similar to the Kiwi attitude) of ‘she’ll be right, if I ignore the problem it will go away.” 

## Burnout and exhaustion in general surgeons

Long hours and high volumes of patients was the norm in South Africa and like many national health systems, it’s junior doctors and registrars who put in the longest hours. Dr Kevin says this was tough but worth the effort. 

“When you have those long hours, you get mentally and physically exhausted and you wonder if what you’re doing is the right thing… But in the scope of your career, you know it’s not going to last forever… you look at your consultants and their lifestyles and you know it’ll get better. Not that you don’t have responsibilities when you get to that level, but the hours are less likely to be so long.” 

But Dr Kevin and his family felt like they were often unsafe living in South Africa, so decided to try life and work in a new country. In 2002, they made the move to the [UK](https://medrecruit.medworld.com/articles/lifestyle-of-doctors-in-the-uk-vs-nz).

“I worked in different places and that opened me up to being flexible. I’d work for three months in a UK hospital and then we would go to Europe to travel. Then I’d come back to work in a different UK hospital. That lifestyle really grew on me. It was a good introduction to short-term work.” 

The work was different too. There was a lower volume and better resources compared to South Africa, but the kind of work general surgeons did was more specific: “different jobs were reserved for different specialities, so that was something to get used to.” 

## Finding the ultimate lifestyle as a general surgeon

It was an advert in a journal that got Dr Kevin and his family thinking about [New Zealand](https://medrecruit.medworld.com/articles/moving-to-new-zealand-after-covid-19).

“The job was for six months in Tauranga, so we thought it would be a nice way to try life in New Zealand and it would be easy to return to the UK if it didn’t work out. We enjoyed it so we extended our stay for another six months… now we’ve been here for 17 years!” 

A better work/life balance has been one of the big reasons he chose to stay: 

“You’re a little bit more protected when it comes to overwork and burnout in NZ. In the UK, it doesn’t matter how many hours you do, how hard you are working, or how many patients you’re seeing, you have to finish your work. There’s more protection in NZ to make sure you’re not tired. If you make a mistake when you’re tired it can have significant consequences.” 

In 2011, Dr Kevin made another lifestyle choice: he decided to start locuming as a [general surgeon](https://medrecruit.medworld.com/articles/what-are-the-highest-paying-doctor-jobs-in-new-zealand) through Medrecruit. After enjoying his short working stints in the UK, he knew locuming would enable him to better balance lifestyle and family commitments with work. 

“If you are locuming you can choose when you want to work, how long you want to work for and then you can choose when you go back. It’s enabled me to have more time to spend with the family and do things I enjoy like gardening and cooking.” 

He’s enjoyed it so much, Dr Kevin is now one of Medrecruit’s top doctors. He’s worked with us for more than 10 years and is reaping the rewards of his well-balanced lifestyle.  


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The search for a better lifestyle as a general surgeon. Dr Kevin Naidoo shares his journey from South Africa to New Zealand 

Working as a locum surgeon| Medrecruit 

Working as a locum surgeon: Kevin’s story 

It’s a little-known fact that locuming with a partner is easy – hospitals even encourage it. It means they get two happy doctors who are a bit more likely to stick around.  
 
If you want to locum with your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or better half, you can! You can even schedule days off together so you can enjoy downtime and travel with your beau. There are lots of benefits for doctors locuming and travelling together.  
 
Dr Maddison Waters met Logan Kratzer at med school in Perth, Australia. The couple love travelling, so locuming together seemed like the perfect fit.  
 
## Locuming and travelling together as a couple  
“We always wanted to travel,” says Maddison, “both of us had gone from high school into undergraduate uni and then post-grad med school, so we hadn’t really had a gap year as such and we really wanted to travel around Australia. Because we’d only just finished our internship and Logan had just finished his first year of residency, we didn’t have any money so we thought we’d travel and locum.”  
 
The pair did some Google searches and found Medrecruit.  
 
“We didn’t know anyone who had locumed before so it felt like a bit of a risk. But it was awesome. It’s the best thing we have ever done.”  
 
Locuming has enabled them to explore the country – and career and lifestyle options – together. Their first placement was a month-and-a-half in country Victoria. Last year, they locumed in a location they didn’t expect to like – Tasmania.  
 
## Locuming in Tasmania 
“We worked in Launceston last year, but before that, we’d never worked in Tasmania before. Originally, we left Tasmania and said ‘phew, we’ll never go back there, it’s so cold!’ But then we got halfway around Australia and we kept thinking about Tassie and LG [Launceston General] hospital and we came back and now it is home. We live about two minutes from the hospital, so not much of a commute! It’s great,” says Maddison.  
 
“[…] the thing is in Tassie, you can travel every weekend because things are only an hour or two away and it’s easy to explore all the different areas of Tasmania.” 
 
The pair got engaged in January 2020 and are settling down together in Tasmania for the foreseeable future. Because they spent a long time locuming, they quickly saved up a deposit for a home, and Tasmania’s great lifestyle and affordable homes made Launceston a great option for their first home.  
 
They’ve recently accepted full-time roles and are looking forward to spending more time living in the region.  
 
## The benefits of locuming for career progression  
Typically, doctors are in PGY3 when they start locuming. Logan was one year above Maddison in medical school, so because Logan was able to locum, Maddison was encouraged to step up too. She’s now PGY3 and a registrar.  
 
“If I was back home, based where I was in Stanley, in Perth, there’s no way I would have been able to step up to registrar at PGY3, but doing locuming has made me very comfortable in being a doctor. I’ve had to move around and do a lot of different things and I’ve been able to step up to registrar a lot earlier than I would have if I’d just had a full-time job.  
 
“It’s allowed us to meet a lot of different people at a lot of different hospitals who’ve given us a lot of different opportunities. Almost every hospital has said: come back and join our training programme and we’ll have you straight away. We’ve been able to advance our career, right up to accepting our new roles here in Tasmania. So, it’s wrong when people say that by locuming you’re stagnating your career – we certainly haven’t. We’ve both been able to step up.”  
 
## Tips for doctors: don't believe the stigma around locuming 
Maddison says: “don’t be turned off by the stigma around locuming. A lot of people think you’ve got to do what everyone else does: get on a training programme and work at one hospital and make your contacts through that. But that’s just following the crowd.”  
 
Her tips for doctors thinking about locuming include:  
 
- Be confident in your abilities – you’ll be thrown into new situations, so you should only start locuming once you’re confident in your abilities 
- Be upfront and honest with hospitals – tell them what you can (and can’t do) 
- Locuming is flexible, but you need to be flexible too 
- Don’t be afraid to talk about accommodation options – Maddison and Logan often asked what the budget was for accommodation and then negotiated a good deal with AirBnB hosts so they could travel and locum with their dogs! 
 
Looking to locum with your better half? Give us a call, we’ve helped lots of couples explore the country and further their career together.  

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They met in med school and dreamed of travelling together. Locuming made it possible. Here’s Maddison and Logan’s locum love story… 

Love locuming: what it is like locuming with your fiancée

What it’s like locuming with your fiancée 

For the right person, locum or permanent work as a rural doctor is the best job in the world. 

Sometimes known as rural generalists, rural GP or GP surgeons, the role of the rural doctor in Australia is quickly becoming known as an important specialty. 

But we’ve discovered that perceptions about rural doctor work, shared as early as med school, put some doctors off considering work as a rural doctor. Some don't explore the option until later in life, often using locuming as a way to ‘dip their toes’ in working and living in remote and regional locations.

For Dr Sneha Kirubakaran, taking an unusual career path has worked to her advantage. Based in Adelaide, she works as a locum rural GP in towns across South Australia and parts of Queensland. But she didn’t set out to become a rural generalist. 

## Rural doctor misconceptions: being a GP is ‘second class’ 

“My story is kind of interesting,” says Dr Sneha, “I started training as a general surgeon initially. I thought I did not want to do general practice because I did not enjoy the GP attachment that I had in medical school and also, as a junior doctor, when you are working in a hospital I think general practitioners are given a bum rap by hospital doctors. 

“You often get: ‘oh the GP missed the diagnosis’ and a rolling of the eyes, suggesting that GPs cannot be trusted. So, there was a subliminal message given to most junior doctors where if you wanted to be a doctor of consequence you would be a hospital doctor and not a general practitioner.” 

Dr Sneha chose (hospital-based) general surgery and initially performed very well. But in her later years, her end of term feedback was hit-and-miss. 

“I think the problem was: I was not actually created to be a surgeon. I had erroneously made assumptions about who I was, how I wanted to work and how I worked best. 

“When it was clear to me that it was time to leave surgery behind, by then I was so burnt out I decided to look for the quickest and easiest option to get a fellowship.” 

General practice was the quickest option. At first, Dr Sneha was worried that she wouldn’t enjoy it, “but by God’s grace, I love it,” she says. 

“General practice totally suited me and my personality. It highlighted the best parts about who I am as a human being and allowed me to bring that to my work.” 

“I really do blame those hospital doctors that gave me the impression that being a GP would be being a second-class citizen doctor and that influenced those very early choices I made in my career.” 

## From urban GP to rural doctor

Dr Sneha loved general practice, but wanted to find a way to utilise her many years’ experience in general surgery too. In some states in Australia there’s a category of general practitioners called GP surgeons. She pushed her training body to enable her to do rural doctor placements. 

“They sent me to a small town called Jamestown, in rural South Australia. I absolutely loved rural medicine because in urban general practice most things could easily be sent to a specialist or to the hospital down the street. In rural places, you had to go above and beyond what urbans GPs did in their practice. You had the opportunity to do the inpatient work, the opportunity to do the emergency work, as well as the good old general practice work.” 

Another stint as an urban GP while completing her PhD made her realise that being rural doctor was her true calling. 

“I really felt that rural GP work was value-added medicine. You work much more to the level of a specialist and it was just really interesting medicine.”

## Incentives for doctors to work in rural areas

Another misconception that rural doctors face is that the work is more difficult and often round-the-clock. 

Rural GP work requires the confidence and experience to know how to balance a lot of responsibilities without taking on too much. An upside to this is that rural doctors are recognised for their additional responsibilities and they are well remunerated. 

“There are good financial incentives to being a rural GP. That can be helpful. It’s also well acknowledged that rural GPs don’t have the same sort of collegial support that their urban counterparts have because they cannot access the same courses and that sort of thing. So, the government has poured extra money into allowing rural GPs to get extra leave and be covered by a locum doctor to attend extra courses – and be paid for it.” 

## Tips for doctors thinking about the rural generalist pathway

Dr Sneha says that there’s a few things to consider before jumping into rural generalist work. Families should carefully consider if rural life will be suitable for the rest of the family. If your spouse can’t find a fulfilling job, or if there’s no suitable schools for your children, rural life might not work for you.

Another good tip is make sure you’re feeling confident and competent. Dr Sneha says that her “detour through surgery” and the years she spent in the hospital system as a surgical registrar have contributed to the confidence and skills she needs to be a rural GP.  
 
“I would highly recommend rural work for junior doctors. Rural medicine is value-added medicine. You get to do all sorts of interesting things that you wouldn’t do if you were an urban GP. 

“However, they do need to make sure that they are confident. Rural work does have that extra level of responsibility. It requires that extra level of confidence and competence. You need to feel that you have had adequate training and support, that’s important. 

“I feel that the skills I use as a rural GP were not necessarily only given to me in my rural GP training. That should be a consideration.”  

## Why being a rural doctor rules 

“One part of me that was attracted to rural work was an ethos instilled in me by my medical school about social responsibility. So, an ethos that said, in order to provide justice and health equity, you have to go where there is great need.

“So, that was a driving force for me. I didn’t want to go where there were already a thousand other doctors. I wanted to go where there were hardly any doctors because that’s where there was need. That fitted with my ethos of social justice, social responsibility and health equity and sense of service.” 


















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Hospital physicians gave Dr Sneha the impression GPs were second-class. After a fling with general surgery, she found out why being a rural doctor rules! 

Misconceptions about working as a rural doctor in Australia | Medrecruit 

Misconceptions about working as a rural doctor in Australia

Inspiration and information about moving to Australia or New Zealand as a doctor 

Moving to Australia or New Zealand

Moving to AU/NZ

The first half of 2021 could be the right time for Kiwi doctors to move to Australia.  
 
New Zealand and Australia fared similarly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and soon, as both governments talk vaccines and travel bubbles, movement between the two should become easier.  
 
Few New Zealand doctors know that they can live and work in Australia. Similar healthcare systems and regulatory requirements mean it’s relatively easy to jump the ditch.  
 
What’s more: there’s a shortage of doctors in Australia and only Kiwi doctors can easily fill this gap right now.  
 
## Can New Zealand-trained doctors work in Australia?  
 
As a New Zealand-trained doctor, you can work in Australia provided you meet requirements and register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA – Australia’s MCNZ).  
 
There’s a bit of paperwork to prepare first (like [CVs](/doctors/resources) and [references](/articles/organising-references-for-medical-roles-are-you-doing-it-right)), but once that’s complete the registration process takes on average 6–8 weeks. Getting the paperwork sorted and applying for registration is something Medrecruit helps with, alongside finding jobs that match your criteria.  
 
## Why is now the best time to move?  
 
The Covid-19 pandemic has made global travel difficult – even for essential workers like doctors. It’s deterred many from travelling for work.  
 
Australia relies on overseas-trained doctors to fill important roles right across the country, so there’s likely to be a larger shortage of doctors as fewer International Medical Graduates (IMGs) seek work in Australia.  
 
Conversely, we’ve noticed that locum and permanent doctor jobs in New Zealand are filling up more quickly than usual. It could be because many Kiwis living abroad returned to New Zealand with their families in the wake of the pandemic. Whatever the reason, finding a job in New Zealand is possible, but a bit more competitive than usual.  
 
Doctors who want to try living and working in Australia will therefore have the upper hand – it’s easier for them to move to Australia than for other ‘non-Aussie’ doctors and there’s more jobs and locations to choose from.  
 
## What are the perks for Kiwi doctors working in Australia?  
 
The main benefit for Kiwi doctors[ locuming in Australia](/articles/why-i-love-locuming-dr-lesina-nakhid-schuster) is the money. You could be earning three times more locuming in Australia than in New Zealand – as much as $2800 per day. It’s a fantastic opportunity to squirrel away some extra cash towards your first home or a bucket-list adventure.  
 
If you choose to locum, the opportunity to travel and explore parts of Australia is another draw card.  
 
Doctors taking on permanent roles in Australia can expect good remuneration too. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see how a slightly different healthcare system works, develop your skills and progress your career, without straying too far from good ol’ Aotearoa.  
 
## What do I need to do to live and work in Australia?   
 
As with many processes in medicine – there’s a bit of paperwork to get though. We can help you with this and point you in the right direction (the paperwork can vary depending on where you want to work in Australia and what your speciality is).  
 
You will need to arrange your own flights and travel to Australia. But, once there, accommodation and travel between placements is often covered. We’ve got dedicated teams in Australia and New Zealand so if you’ve ever stuck or need a hand, your personal Solutions Specialist is never more than a phone call away.  
 
Best of all, Medrecruit’s service is free for doctors.  
 
## Tips for Kiwi doctors thinking about moving to Australia 
 
Get in touch sooner rather than later. Now’s the time to start getting your paperwork ready if you want to enjoy late summer in Australia. 
 
Have some savings set aside for your move. You’ll need to pay for things like flights and your AHPRA application and if you plan to stay long-term, you might want to buy a car on arrival. That said, once you get to Australia it won’t take long to earn this back because pay rates are good.  
 
Think about how long you’d like to stay in Australia. It’s up to you, but we think you’ll want at least three months to make the most of your experience. Lots of doctors we work with locum for a year before deciding whether to stay long-term or to return to New Zealand.  
 
 
 
  

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Fancy enjoying late summer on an Australian beach? 2021 could be a great time for Kiwi doctors to jump the ditch

Is now the right time for Kiwi doctors to move to Australia? | Medrecruit

Is now the right time for Kiwi doctors to move to Australia?  

Medrecruit news, events, and other important things happening in the medical world 

News and Events

Healthcare staffing is a challenge. Some hospitals and GP clinics spend months searching for the ideal candidates to fill their vacancies. Is using a medical recruitment agency the answer?
 
MedRecruit’s Business Development Manager, Maxine Monroe says it is.
 
Max says she’s been on the “other side of recruitment agencies” before, when she worked in a different industry and was looking for staff to join her team. She says some businesses in the wider industry give recruitment a bad name, but not all agencies are created equal.
 
“We’re easy to work with and our team are [good quality recruiters](/employers) – they’re not like recruiters I have worked with in the past,” says Max.
 
## Working with a medical recruitment agency
Medrecruit was founded by [Dr Sam Hazledine back in 2006](/about-us), in response to finding that some of his colleagues were leaving the healthcare industry because they were [burnt out](/articles/why-being-a-doctor-is-a-stressful-job) and disillusioned with medicine. We’ve since grown into one of the largest medical recruitment agencies in Australasia. Max says this is down to the Medrecruit team’s dedication to both doctors and clients – the hospitals and clinics across New Zealand and Australia.
 
“One of the issues is that hospitals and clinics are often bombarded with low-calibre presentations,” says Max.
 
“The presentation itself might be unclear – especially if a hospital has a few vacancies at that time. They might have to go back and forth through the CV, the presentations, and to check if the doctor is available for those dates… it can be a bit of a nightmare. Medrecruit doesn’t do that. We want to earn our fee!”
 
“First up, I want to make life easy for you. I appreciate what your day looks like. All the presentations I will send are for work-ready doctors. There’s no delay or need to chase paperwork. They’re work-ready and fully credentialed.
 
“Then – and I know this sounds like a really tiny thing, but I know it makes a difference – every presentation is really clear: the doctors name, what shifts they’re available for, are they a returning doctor… it’s simple, but it’s something we regularly make sure we’re doing because we know it makes a difference for our clients. We want to make it as easy as possible for them.
 
“Throughout the process, there’s usually only one point of contact with us, to make things simpler for our client.”
 
## A preferred panel provider
Medrecruit is a preferred panel provider, where this system is in place, right across Australia. Max says Medrecruit is among the top recruitment agencies in terms of service to its clients.
 
We have a large pool of doctors who have been through a strict credentialing process. A Solutions Specialist works with them to ensure that  each doctor’s CV is up-to-date, their references are ready, and checks the dates they’re available to work.
 
“The difference between us and some of the other agencies? It’s the work our Solutions Specialists do – all that work ready stuff. This is where we make a difference up front.
 
“Before we send a doctor to a client, we’ve done a lot of work. The hospitals pay us so we make sure we earn our fee, we make sure we learn what our clients need and we make sure we’re meeting those expectations.
 
“Our clients trust us and they know that we have credibility. That’s how we have landed our preferred supplier agreements. They choose us because we do what we’re getting paid to do – we do our due diligence and we don’t cut any corners.”
 
## Making medical recruitment easy for hospitals
Another advantage to clinics and hospitals looking for healthcare recruitment support is Medrecruit’s placement specialist team. It’s their job to ensure that the doctor has everything they need to start work and that the process is smooth.
 
“Sometimes we are fighting against that reputation of the recruitment industry. We show that we’re so much better than that. We’re not transactional. It’s not simply: ‘here’s a doctor’. We’re so much more.
 
“We take an enduring look at a relationship, we want to add value wherever we can. We love what we do and we’re here to help.”



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As the hiring manager for a busy hospital or GP clinic, how do you find great doctors, fast? Maxine Monroe explains how Medrecruit does it differently. 

Hospitals and clinics: why work with a recruitment agency? | Medrecruit

Hospitals and clinics: why work with a recruitment agency? 

Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster loves locuming. Originally based in Auckland, the plastic [surgery registrar](/articles/comparing-work-as-a-surgeon-uk-vs-nz) started locuming in Australia in March 2019. 
  
Since then, she’s taken time to travel (both in Europe and Australia) and even did a three-month filming stint with TVNZ as the star of reality TV programme The Bachelorette. If you’ve seen any of the show or one of her interviews, you’ll have seen that she raves about locuming and the lifestyle it enables. 
  
Speaking from her current placement in Canberra, Dr Lesina told us about the ups (and downs) of locuming and why she just might [locum forever](/articles/tips-for-locuming-full-time-from-a-doctor-who-s-done-it-medrecruit)… 
  
## Why did you decide to start locuming?  
I was moving countries, [from New Zealand to Australia](/articles/is-now-the-right-time-for-kiwi-doctors-to-move-to-australia), because I wanted to travel a bit more and meet new people and I was looking for something more flexible. Locuming was perfect. 
  
I didn’t really know anything about locuming then, but I knew it would give me the flexibility I wanted. And it has! Travel and freedom are important to me. It has been good to travel around Australia for jobs, to see different parts of the country that I have never seen before. 
  
Then, in-between jobs, I could just do my own thing. You get to choose when you want to work, so I travelled overseas when I wanted to. 
                                            
## Is there anything you’ve found challenging?  
Hmm, the only hard thing, or perhaps a downside, is that you need to plan your year beforehand because it can be hard waiting for jobs. Then again, I took the job I have now very, very last minute and that has worked out perfectly! It came at the perfect time and it is such a cool job. 
  
I think it is a credit to you guys {Medrecruit}, in that, if I haven’t had a job for a while I call up and say: “hey, hey, hey, I need a job right now!”. Locky is my {Solutions Specialist} and he looks for a job hard-out, finds one and then I take it… it’s just so easy. He’s so onto it and you guys are so accommodating. 
  
Another challenge is all the admin stuff! Learning how a new computer system works, learning where everything is and how everything works – every hospital is so confusing when you first enter it. I have a list of five to ten things that I ask on the first day, like how do you order scans? Where is the…? How do you book an operation…? but every speciality will be different. 
  
It takes about one to two weeks until you get to know anything and then it is sweet. The downsides are very small… to be honest, I don’t understand why everybody doesn’t locum! 
  
## What are the perks of locuming?  
It’s sooo right up my alley. It’s very suited to my lifestyle, it is exactly what I want. 
  
I know this sounds bad… but they don’t expect a lot of you so if you go in and do a really good job, everyone is so, so grateful which is nice. 
  
## How about the freedom and travel – has that lived up to your expectations?  
One. Thousand. Per cent. I took three months off to do The Bachelorette – I couldn’t have done that if I wasn’t a locum, because what other job would let you take that much time off?! We did 2.5 – 3 months filming and then all the publicity afterwards… it all takes time. I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t locuming. 
  
I like it too much… it’s not sustainable forever… or is it?! I’ll do it for the foreseeable future, I don’t have plans to stop anytime soon. 
  
## Have there been any stand-out moments?  
I LOVED Bunbury, in Western Australia. I had never been to Western Australia before and not thought about going before. 
  
I didn’t research it properly, so I didn’t know a lot about where I was going. The town is just the most beautiful little place right on the coast with such great weather, there were lots of great beaches and the team were really nice. I didn’t expect it to be so beautiful, scenic and for there to be so much to do in a little town. 
  
And this one! This placement is great. Sometimes, it is all about the people you work with and I’ve been really lucky. I’ve not had a bad group of people yet. But here, I am having so much fun and all the people are so cool. I’m really enjoying it. 
  
## Do you have any advice for other doctors considering locuming?  
Always have it as a side option. Don’t feel like you have to be on the grind 24/7. We’ve all been there and done that and people will always have you back if you have locumed for a while and you want to go back. You can do as long or as short as you want. 
  
Another thing is to do with something we doctors so often don’t do… locuming is a really good opportunity to live your life a little bit. If you want to take a bit of time out and you don’t know how to, or you think it is not financially viable or you’re worried you’re going to miss medicine or not retain your knowledge, locuming is a really good option. You can take time out and locuming is there to help you do that. 
 

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Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster love locuming, It’s given her the time to travel and do a three-month filming stint with TVNZ as the star of The Bachelorette.

Why I love locuming: Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster | Medrecruit

Why I love locuming: Dr Lesina Nakhid-Schuster 

Dr Henry Kurtze has been working in locum roles across Australia since March 2019. Currently undertaking Emergency Department (ED) locum work through Medrecruit, we asked him for an honest insight into locum work and life in rural Australia. 

Henry has worked in several different rural and regional locations so far (a common experience for [full-time locum doctors](/articles/pursuing-the-full-time-locuming-dream-dr-kiren-kodali-s-story)). He told us that his reason for locuming was simple, “Freedom. It’s allowed me to have the ability to save money and have freedom.” 

## Why do you choose to locum in rural locations?

There’s not much charm to working in large urban hospitals. They’re very hierarchal. The work I’m doing at the moment is all ED, emergency medicine, in smaller places like Broken Hill and Port Macquarie. Rural areas allow you to step up and do more. 

## Do you have any favourite locations?  

I don’t really want to say because everyone will want to go and then I won’t be able to get a placement because it will be full {laughs}. Okay – Broken Hill. It’s really bush, right in the desert. It’s very interesting, well supported, outback medicine. 

## Was the lifestyle good? 

Not particularly in the desert. I went to work, then to the same café after work almost every day. But I’m going to go back there soon and I’ll explore, I’ll rent a car this time. It’s a solid place, an interesting location. I was recently in Port Macquarie. I could surf there every day. I had a really good time, catching good winter waves. 

## What’s it like practising medicine in rural locations?  

You get people who are very sick in a very isolated place  You get a really interesting mix, lots of very different cases – things to do with the environment, like issues with exposure to heavy metals, environmental infections, diesel explosions. You’re pushed to do more. It’s up to you to sort someone out until you can get them to a specialist location. 

## What are the first few days in a new placement like?  

Terrifying. Really intimidating. {Laughs} But I like that feeling. I used to work full time in a hospital and life can get monotonous. During locums it’s pretty uncommon to get an orientation – usually, it’s just a five-second tour in the middle of a chaotic environment. 

## What are the positives and negatives of doing [locum work](/articles/why-i-love-locuming-dr-lesina-nakhid-schuster) full-time?  

There’s an equal amount of stuff that I do and don’t like. It’s hard flying all of the time. You can’t be anchored somewhere; you’ve got to decide to be nomadic – or not. Unless you’re just doing odd weekends, you’ve got to commit to it. 

A good thing is that you get exposed to a lot of different mentors who are generally happy to help. You can gain expertise from a lot of different doctors with different approaches and outlooks. If you keep working with different people, you learn so much more. 

When you work in one place for a long time, there’s a bit of ‘group think’ – everyone assimilates to one way of working. You’ve got to go somewhere with a different way of working to learn. 

## Any tips or advice for doctors considering doing locum work?

Commit, and [enjoy life](/articles/making-a-difference-to-doctors-wellbeing)! 

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Dr Henry Kurtze has been working in locum roles across Australia. We asked him for an honest insight into locum work and life in rural Australia.  

Dr Henry Kurtze’s experience as a locum in rural Australia| Medrecruit   

Dr Henry Kurtze’s experience as a locum in rural Australia

Locuming offers great money, fantastic flexibility and the opportunity to travel. But can you locum full-time? The answer is yes – and you’d be surprised how many doctors choose to do it.  
 
We talked to Dr Kiren Kodali, an Australia-based registrar in general medicine and intensive care. He gave up his full-time job to pursue his dream of setting up his own special kind of practice and retreat. 
 
The stepping stone to get there? [Locuming full-time](/articles/tips-for-locuming-full-time-from-a-doctor-who-s-done-it-medrecruit) with Medrecruit. 
 
We had a chat to Dr Kiren to find out more about his experiences as a full-time locum doctor. 
  
## What attracted you to locuming?  
There’s two kinds of people. Some people like a routine, their nine-to-five and their regular dinner dates on a Wednesday night. Others like seeing new places and meeting new people as well as spending more time with family. I realised I was the latter. 
 
I enjoy exploring small towns and visiting smaller, lesser-known places. But because I work long locum stints, I have whole weeks off which means I can spend more time with my family too. But you do need a partner who supports you and understands the lifestyle you’ve chosen. I’ve seen it happen to other doctors before – you can get disillusioned if you don’t have strong support at home and you’ll burn out fast. 
  
## What are the ups and downs of locuming?  
There are a lot of pros if you carefully negate the negatives. It’s good if you have a purpose, like trying to save for a house for your partner and children. You also have more responsibilities and you pick up a lot of new things. 
The cons are that you really need to look after your health. After a long flight, it’s easy to pick up MacDonald’s or on shorter locum placements, you find yourself living out of a motel ordering in chips. But that’s really not good for you in the long run. 
 
You also need to look after your [mental health](/articles/why-being-a-doctor-is-a-stressful-job). You’re away from your family and friends and you need to build new relationships with new colleagues fast. I think you need to have a purpose or goal. 
  
## What has surprised you about the nature of locum work?  
I love small towns. You go to some and at first think, why am I going here?! Launceston, Tasmania is an example, I had a six month locum there and found that though small, it had a lot of things going on. There was yoga, archery, great cafes. You get your hits and misses of course, but the experience is different for different people. Maybe if you love steak, you’d like a small town with farming and a big meat factory! Then there’s small towns like Geraldton, which is great for surfers. 
 
I love the beach. I love a bit of yoga, a little bit of archery and I like small towns with small airports as I enjoy flying planes. I think each town in Australia has something special about it. 
  
## What tips would you give a doctor starting locum work?  
Before you locum, think about what your passions are. We all have something we’re passionate about but we often easily give up our dreams. 
 
I was a nine-to-five hospital doctor and I began to realise that [you shouldn’t compromise your dreams](/articles/thanks-covid-19-what-happens-when-the-bucket-list-goes-bust). I’d say that’s the biggest thing I’ve realised this year. I decided to locum for three years for a purpose – to save up money to achieve my dream. 
  
## Can you tell us more about your dream project?  
I want to save up money to buy land and build a small resort or retreat – with yoga, archery and martial arts as well as hydrotherapies and massage. Somewhere you can go and enjoy all these activities together. There’s not many places like this in Australia, where you can go away for five days or two months and come back a new person. 
 
That’s my purpose, why I’m locuming. I think if you don’t have a purpose, you can easily slide. Maybe it’s something small like building a house for your family, but it keeps you going. 
  
## Is there anything else you’d like to tell doctors thinking about locum work?  
I recommend doctors go with the right agency – one who doesn’t treat you like a product, but actually cares about you. I call Medrecruit and my solutions specialist, Ben, like I’d call a friend. They understand me and they understand how I work and will assist me if I need to change my arrangements due to family issues. 
 

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Locuming offers great money, fantastic flexibility and the opportunity to travel. This doctor talks about why he’s chosen to locum full-time.

Pursuing the full-time locuming dream | Medrecruit   

Pursuing the full-time locuming dream: Dr Kiren Kodali’s story

Articles and tips to help you advance your medical career

Career

Locuming full-time as a doctor is a great way to earn money, travel and explore your career options. Here at Medrecruit, we’re seeing an increasing number of doctors choosing to locum full-time. 
 
But what are the challenges and perks of locuming full-time? We’ve talked to Dr Yon Yang Yu, who started working with Medrecruit in 2013 as a junior doctor in Australia. In November 2016, he decided to make the move to[ New Zealand ](/articles/australia-vs-new-zealand-which-is-better-for-doctor-jobs) and try [locuming full-time](/articles/pursuing-the-full-time-locuming-dream-dr-kiren-kodali-s-story). 

We talked to Yon about his reasons for becoming a full-time locum doctor, the ups and downs of the locum lifestyle and his tips for doctors considering a similar move. 
 
## Why did you decide to locum full-time?    
I first started locuming after I’d just finished a stint as a kids’ doctor and thought it would be a good idea to do some general locum work and gain more experience with adults before I moved to ‘GP land’. I thought it was going to be for me, but it didn’t meet my expectations. 
 
So, I decided to go to New Zealand. I’d visited before, but thought I’d have a ‘thinking sabbatical’. I wanted time to do, you know, those millennial things. To have a break and try out the lifestyle and the system. 
 
I’m from Perth, but my folks lived on Christmas Island. I got to work in the [regions in Australia](/articles/dr-henry-kurtze-s-experience-as-a-locum-in-rural-australia) at Uni and that gave me an appetite for travel and broadened my horizons. I suppose I’m the apple that’s rolled far from the tree and maybe I’m destined for the vagabond life! 
 
## What do you like about the locum lifestyle in New Zealand? 
I could be doing this for the long haul. I’m seriously considering taking up a non-medical role and doing locum stints as I don’t want to give up my skills directly. 
 
I’ve worked in Palmerston, Masterton, Nelson, Dunedin and I’m now in Southland. It’s been a breath of fresh air working in the NZ health system; there’s more of a can-do attitude. It’s very positive. I’ve met a lot of interesting doctors and nurses – they’ve all got an interesting double life! And I do get to see them again through repeat placements. 
 
## What are the challenges of locuming full-time? 
Making the transition to New Zealand, I’ve noticed the computer systems vary a lot. But because I’d done placements in Australia, I knew to have a little quick reference thing on my phone, with usernames and door codes etc. 
 
The first day or two, you’re not as efficient as you’d like to be which can be frustrating. But people understand that and you have to accept it. 
 
## What advice would you give someone thinking about undertaking locum work as a doctor? 
Enjoy the area that you’re in, don’t be in a mad rush and take time to soak up the location. 
 
I’d also recommend the old ‘Mum and Dad’ advice about eating better and staying physically active. It’s not an issue for me now, but when I first started out… well, you can be forgiven for not wanting to eat right or do anything active – but you really need to. 
 
You’ve got to practice what you preach, if you’re happy to give others lifestyle advice, you should follow that yourself. There’s a culture in medicine of staying back and going the extra mile, but I’d advise any new players to make sure you work hard while you’re working, but that you take breaks, finish when you’re supposed to and take care of yourself. 
 
 
 

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We’re seeing an increase in doctors who choose to locum full-time. We asked one of our doctors about the ups, the downs and his tips for locuming full-time.

Tips for locuming full-time from a doctor | Medrecruit

Tips for locuming full-time from a doctor who's done it

How to take care of your health and wellbeing, so that you can be a better doctor

#Locuming