Post: #1

$400,000 + three months holidays a year post on an island in New Zealand. Nobody wants it due to lack of infrastructure. I'd snap it up in a second. Great access to Asia for a single man.

Link

Quote:A rural GP in New Zealand is offering a $400,000 (£190,000) annual income to try to attract a medic to share his work burden – but after two years of searching the position remains unfilled.

The GP – originally recruited from the UK – told the New Zealand Herald his practice has “exploded”, but he is overworked and has repeatedly had to cancel holidays because of the difficulty of finding a replacement or locum doctor.

“I can offer them a really, really amazing income; it’s incredible. My practice has exploded in the last year and the more patients you list, the more money you get. But it just gets too much at the end of the day.”

...

As well as the hefty salary, Kenny is offering the right applicant three months’ annual leave, no night or weekend work – and a half share in the practice, which has 6000 patients on its books. But despite the generous conditions he has had no applications in four months.

“I love my work and I would like to stay but I hit my head against a brick wall trying to attract doctors,” Kenny told the Herald.

...

Reynolds said contributing factors to the rural GP shortage were isolation, lack of schooling options and social activities, and poor access to broadband networks.

Post: #2

It's in Tokoroa. That's a beautiful area of the country, close to the mouth of the Whanganui River. It's also a short drive from Lake Taupo. There's good hunting too I've heard. A young doctor with a taste for the outdoors could enjoy life there.



Not bad right? Who wouldn't love to come out here, kayak the rivers and shoot some deer?

The caveat is that you'd be required to examine the vaginas of some of the most disgusting women on the planet.

Post: #3

That's absolutely amazing. And it's not even a long commitment. Just think of what a disciplined man like many of us could do with that money. We have similarly isolated places with extra salaries and perks here in Croatia, but sadly I don't belong to an appropriate profession.

p.s. amazing gif Horus

Post: #4

(02-23-2016 11:12 AM)Horus Wrote:  The caveat is that you'd be required to examine the vaginas of some of the most disgusting women on the planet.

I think I see what you mean.

Post: #5

This is the best thing about being a physician: the places with the most jobs and highest salaries are also the ones with the lowest costs of living and easiest access to the outdoors. In the United States for example, house prices and physician salaries are inversely correlated. Many docs making 600k+ per year work in areas where a huge mansion on a sizable property goes for 300-400k. It also has the ancillary benefit of not having to deal with the urban riff raff.

Post: #6

(02-23-2016 11:31 AM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  This is the best thing about being a physician: the places with the most jobs and highest salaries are also the ones with the lowest costs of living and easiest access to the outdoors. In the United States for example, house prices and physician salaries are inversely correlated. Many docs making 600k+ per year work in areas where a huge mansion on a sizable property goes for 300-400k. It also has the ancillary benefit of not having to deal with the urban riff raff.

This was one of several main motivators for why I considered medical school and/or PA school at one point in the past. A guy with a medical background and a willingness to travel a bit (if only temporarily) to more rural and/or more remote places can make serious cash for pretty much forever. Generally speaking, you have a lot more autonomy and opportunity to practice a wide range of stuff as well; a real chance to be a jack of all trades via trial by fire given the lack of available help. Aside from a lack of urban related opportunities (random slut pussy and fun social stuff mainly), it would be a pretty sweet life.

But I just can't stomach 2 years of pre-reqs, 4 years of med school, and several years in residency for the opportunity (about 10 years total). Just too much investment (time and cost) for something that can be taken away (lose your license) relatively easily due a false accusation or some other bullshit. PA school has it's own issues too which I covered here:

/thread-51492...pid1143249

My ideal would be a very portable medical job with solid pay and relative low investment in time and cost. A BSN is probably the closest thing but I've heard and read a lot of rumblings lately in how entry level RNs are having a tough time getting hired these days. RN has been the goto field for a lot of people looking for stable work for a while now so it would make sense that the field is getting saturated; kind like how pharmacy ended up (hot in the 90s and over saturated in the 2000s).

I envy you folks who can take advantage of deals like the one in NZ; I'd be all over it in a millisecond.

Post: #7

(02-23-2016 11:31 AM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  This is the best thing about being a physician: the places with the most jobs and highest salaries are also the ones with the lowest costs of living and easiest access to the outdoors. In the United States for example, house prices and physician salaries are inversely correlated. Many docs making 600k+ per year work in areas where a huge mansion on a sizable property goes for 300-400k. It also has the ancillary benefit of not having to deal with the urban riff raff.

Seems to work the same way for IT, at least for me. Except for the part about making 600k :/

Post: #8

Yeah, this kind of stuff is typical. Medicine consumes your life when you are in med school and residency.
Your entire social circle is other people in your medical school class.
And the most of your medical school class will gravitate to the closest major metropolitan area, as well as the prestigious high paying specialties (ROAD - rads, ortho, anesthesiology, derm).
After spending years as a tight group, very few doctors want to go live out in the middle of fucking nowhere, away from anyone they know.
Even with amazing perks, they can't find American medical grads to do family medicine in bum fuck rural Ohio or Wisconsin.
They have to get FMGs (foreign medical grads) and Carib grads (2nd tier americans who couldn't get into US med schools) to fill those slots.
New Zealand and other places are no different.
People have a romantic view of being out in the wilderness, but it sucks after a while, especially when you have lived a very different lifestyle previous to it.
Imagine spending almost a decade of your life busting your ass studying and doing residency in an urban environment and making a social circle and community ties, and then going somewhere really different.

Post: #9

(02-23-2016 12:43 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  Yeah, this kind of stuff is typical. Medicine consumes your life when you are in med school and residency.
Your entire social circle is other people in your medical school class.
And the most of your medical school class will gravitate to the closest major metropolitan area, as well as the prestigious high paying specialties (ROAD - rads, ortho, anesthesiology, derm).
After spending years as a tight group, very few doctors want to go live out in the middle of fucking nowhere, away from anyone they know.
Even with amazing perks, they can't find American medical grads to do family medicine in bum fuck rural Ohio or Wisconsin.
They have to get FMGs (foreign medical grads) and Carib grads (2nd tier americans who couldn't get into US med schools) to fill those slots.
New Zealand and other places are no different.
People have a romantic view of being out in the wilderness, but it sucks after a while, especially when you have lived a very different lifestyle previous to it.
Imagine spending almost a decade of your life busting your ass studying and doing residency in an urban environment and making a social circle and community ties, and then going somewhere really different.

See, by how it seems, I'd be perfectly fine with being a GP. I'm not an expert in the medical career track but from what I've experienced, overall 90% of their time is just writing prescriptions for common easy to diagnose ailments or referring people to specialists. They don't have to deal with the crippling shift work at an ER. Seems much easier school-wise versus pursuing a specialization. Again I don't know shit about becoming one, but I'd imagine residency for a GP could even be at a local clinic?

Seems to me its probably the lowest-stress field to be in in medicine. Although it may be one of the lower paying areas as well.

Post: #10

(02-23-2016 01:18 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  

(02-23-2016 12:43 PM)VolandoVengoVolandoVoy Wrote:  Yeah, this kind of stuff is typical. Medicine consumes your life when you are in med school and residency.
Your entire social circle is other people in your medical school class.
And the most of your medical school class will gravitate to the closest major metropolitan area, as well as the prestigious high paying specialties (ROAD - rads, ortho, anesthesiology, derm).
After spending years as a tight group, very few doctors want to go live out in the middle of fucking nowhere, away from anyone they know.
Even with amazing perks, they can't find American medical grads to do family medicine in bum fuck rural Ohio or Wisconsin.
They have to get FMGs (foreign medical grads) and Carib grads (2nd tier americans who couldn't get into US med schools) to fill those slots.
New Zealand and other places are no different.
People have a romantic view of being out in the wilderness, but it sucks after a while, especially when you have lived a very different lifestyle previous to it.
Imagine spending almost a decade of your life busting your ass studying and doing residency in an urban environment and making a social circle and community ties, and then going somewhere really different.

See, by how it seems, I'd be perfectly fine with being a GP. I'm not an expert in the medical career track but from what I've experienced, overall 90% of their time is just writing prescriptions for common easy to diagnose ailments or referring people to specialists. They don't have to deal with the crippling shift work at an ER. Seems much easier school-wise versus pursuing a specialization. Again I don't know shit about becoming one, but I'd imagine residency for a GP could even be at a local clinic?

Seems to me its probably the lowest-stress field to be in in medicine. Although it may be one of the lower paying areas as well.

The money to be made is working in cheap places (like this place). The pay and cost of living is so good you can easily become a millionaire very very quickly if you invest correctly.

I told a bunch of law students to do the same. Move to the middle of nowhere and open up shop. Way better to be able to have a local professional than drive 50 miles to the nearest town.

I remember reading somewhere that there are doctors who make $300,000 by living in remote places in Alaska.

Post: #11

My cousin and her husband, both GP's, took over another doctors (husband/wife) practice for a year+ while they do a sabbatical.

$350,000 a year each. They stay in their amazing house, and babysit their patients. No need to find new patients. Its also in a rich valley with access to amazing skiing and outdoors. Small town, of course. This is the key.

And this was after taking posts in rural Canada for one year to have the government take care of all their student debt.

They are debt free and will be about 500K in the black after this year. If they extend another year (likely, the couple on sabbatical is almost 60) they will have a million in the bank, before the age of 30.

Post: #12

(02-23-2016 01:59 PM)Laner Wrote:  My cousin and her husband, both GP's, took over another doctors (husband/wife) practice for a year+ while they do a sabbatical.

$350,000 a year each. They stay in their amazing house, and babysit their patients. No need to find new patients. Its also in a rich valley with access to amazing skiing and outdoors. Small town, of course. This is the key.

And this was after taking posts in rural Canada for one year to have the government take care of all their student debt.

They are debt free and will be about 500K in the black after this year. If they extend another year (likely, the couple on sabbatical is almost 60) they will have a million in the bank, before the age of 30.

Shiiiiiiiiiit! They could retire on passive income super quick.

For you young Canadian dudes:

Apparently, there is a new program in Canada to allow someone to be a GP (I'm assuming its a GP) as early as 24. Gifted HS kids go right into medical school at 18 for 4 years and do 2 year GP/family med residency and are done at 24. Insane.

http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandc...by-age-24/

Post: #13

(02-23-2016 02:54 PM)The Black Knight Wrote:  

(02-23-2016 01:59 PM)Laner Wrote:  My cousin and her husband, both GP's, took over another doctors (husband/wife) practice for a year+ while they do a sabbatical.

$350,000 a year each. They stay in their amazing house, and babysit their patients. No need to find new patients. Its also in a rich valley with access to amazing skiing and outdoors. Small town, of course. This is the key.

And this was after taking posts in rural Canada for one year to have the government take care of all their student debt.

They are debt free and will be about 500K in the black after this year. If they extend another year (likely, the couple on sabbatical is almost 60) they will have a million in the bank, before the age of 30.

Shiiiiiiiiiit! They could retire on passive income super quick.

For you young Canadian dudes:

Apparently, there is a new program in Canada to allow someone to be a GP (I'm assuming its a GP) as early as 24. Gifted HS kids go right into medical school at 18 for 4 years and do 2 year GP/family med residency and are done at 24. Insane.

http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandc...by-age-24/

Wow, and add to that the opportunity to work in the far north where the government pays your student loans (up to $100,000) and a kid is set to make some serious bank before the age of 30.

Quote:Shiiiiiiiiiit! They could retire on passive income super quick.

Being my family, likely they will just have 5 or 6 kids and save until early retirement at 55 like their father.

Post: #14

(02-23-2016 01:18 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  See, by how it seems, I'd be perfectly fine with being a GP. I'm not an expert in the medical career track but from what I've experienced, overall 90% of their time is just writing prescriptions for common easy to diagnose ailments or referring people to specialists. They don't have to deal with the crippling shift work at an ER. Seems much easier school-wise versus pursuing a specialization. Again I don't know shit about becoming one, but I'd imagine residency for a GP could even be at a local clinic?

Seems to me its probably the lowest-stress field to be in in medicine. Although it may be one of the lower paying areas as well.

The problem with being a GP, or Family Med doc as they are known in USA, is twofold. First, it is quite boring, since as you correctly pointed out the vast majority of the work consists of mundane chronic disease management for geezers and much of the rest is social work and coordination of care (paperwork). Who wants to spend 10 hours a day yapping their mouths and filling out referral forms, amirite?

The second problem is that it's a specialty in which you must build and maintain a patient base, which forces you to be available round the clock. Look no further than the doc in the OP article, who was desperate for reinforcements because he couldn't take any vacations due to needing to be there for his patients at all times. Having your own patient base is ideal for job security, but very irksome from a lifestyle flexibility perspective.

A shift based specialty is actually much preferable for the likes of us on this forum, because it allows for working your shift, collecting your paycheck, and washing your hands from medicine until your next shift. Something like Emergency Medicine is probably the gold standard here, because while brutal and intense, it allows you to make quite a lot of money per shift, and you can be very flexible with scheduling your shifts via contract work.

Post: #15

(02-23-2016 11:16 AM)C-Note Wrote:  

(02-23-2016 11:12 AM)Horus Wrote:  The caveat is that you'd be required to examine the vaginas of some of the most disgusting women on the planet.

I think I see what you mean.

WEV (Would Examine Vagina) #7,10,15,19,21a,21b, and some of the soccer players.

Post: #16

That part of NZ has a relatively high percentage of Maori.

Maori, while lovely folk when they take care of themselves generally don't. They are among the most obese, prone to alcohol abuse, domestic violence and heart disease in the world. A lot of this doctor's patients will be wives or children that have been smacked up by dad after a night on the piss.

It's fucking sad. Maori in general when they're not wasting away are intelligent, ball breaking and sports playing individuals.

Beautiful part of the world though. The lifestyle in NZ is really good if you have a little bit of cash. World class scenery, cheap housing, cheap cars, good seafood, good beef. If you like you can go in the mountains and hunt down a wild board on the weekend. Went to Uni there and miss the shit out of the place.

Post: #17

Would not bang Maori women.

Post: #18

I've actually known some really fine Maori women, all under 25 of course.

The issue is the drinking, smoking and lack of hygiene. Couple that with NZ's dry ass weather and you'll find their skin goes to shit by their early 30s.

Post: #19

I once considered going to New Zealand, but they have some extremely strict sexual harassment laws. Basically, if you are in a rural area, and you work for the only practice in the area, then all females in the area are technically your patients, which means that it is sexual harassment to hit on any female in the area of your practice.

So you basically have to take a vow of celibacy for the duration of your work if you are a single male.

For more exciting info on New Zealand's sexual harassment rules for doctors:
http://www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/News-and-P...daries.pdf

Furthermore, this sounds like one of those medical jobs where the workload is such that the typical working day will be 12-16 hours. Even if the weekends are free, it's going to be exhausting.

Post: #20

(02-24-2016 04:25 AM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  

(02-23-2016 01:18 PM)Laurifer Wrote:  See, by how it seems, I'd be perfectly fine with being a GP. I'm not an expert in the medical career track but from what I've experienced, overall 90% of their time is just writing prescriptions for common easy to diagnose ailments or referring people to specialists. They don't have to deal with the crippling shift work at an ER. Seems much easier school-wise versus pursuing a specialization. Again I don't know shit about becoming one, but I'd imagine residency for a GP could even be at a local clinic?

Seems to me its probably the lowest-stress field to be in in medicine. Although it may be one of the lower paying areas as well.

The problem with being a GP, or Family Med doc as they are known in USA, is twofold. First, it is quite boring, since as you correctly pointed out the vast majority of the work consists of mundane chronic disease management for geezers and much of the rest is social work and coordination of care (paperwork). Who wants to spend 10 hours a day yapping their mouths and filling out referral forms, amirite?

The second problem is that it's a specialty in which you must build and maintain a patient base, which forces you to be available round the clock. Look no further than the doc in the OP article, who was desperate for reinforcements because he couldn't take any vacations due to needing to be there for his patients at all times. Having your own patient base is ideal for job security, but very irksome from a lifestyle flexibility perspective.

A shift based specialty is actually much preferable for the likes of us on this forum, because it allows for working your shift, collecting your paycheck, and washing your hands from medicine until your next shift. Something like Emergency Medicine is probably the gold standard here, because while brutal and intense, it allows you to make quite a lot of money per shift, and you can be very flexible with scheduling your shifts via contract work.

When I was giving a medical career some serious thought, it often came down to EM as a doctor or working in a ER/urgent care as a PA for the reasons mentioned. Both tracks really lend themselves to flexible living and being able to walk away from the job after work hours. But the EM career time investment was too high and I was worried about burn out and the PA ER/urgent care focused track was tempting (could lateral if too burned out) but the money is FAR less and the time investment is still pretty steep (5-6 years for PA vs 10 or 11 for EM). I also had some issue with NP's with the vast nursing lobby acting as direct competitors.

Might pick up a EMT volunteer gig somewhere for shits and giggles and see what comes of it. Could be interesting.

Post: #21

I'm from NZ. That job is in a small town with ~13000 people - 2-3 hours drive to Auckland. It's close proximity to good skiing and snowboarding, hunting and a surf beach is probably an hour away. No hot girls - guaranteed. New Zealand has an obesity problem similar to the states but in rural areas things are much worse. The town you're dealing with has high unemployment rates and lots of social challenges like gangs and domestic violence.

All in all its not the worst place to work in New Zealand. What it comes down to is 'why settle'? 400k is good money but a GP working literally ANYWHERE can still make bank. GP is a specialty renowned for lifestyle - 9-5 (mostly) with plenty of flexibility (i.e. holidays). I'm not whoring myself out like that.

Thomas The Rhymer is right - Rural GP is extremely difficult for single men.

Post: #22

I am not sure where the notion that being a GP is an easy job came from. The calls and messages you get from patients are nonstop and you are not reimbursed for your time in dealing with these issues. Statistically speaking, based on the size of your patient panel, you are bound to get a number of insane patients who will suck up much of your time and energy. You have very little time for patient visits based on how many patients you need to see everyday. The pay is good (though poor for the medical field), the work is difficult, and the emotional burden is high. In this new age of health care, I could see high burnout rates for GPs. The work is also not overly satisfying.

I am speaking solely for the US and cannot comment on other places.

Post: #23

They can't get a (USA) doctor because their offer of $400K is too low. They will get more bites if they offer $600K (USD).

Post: #24

(02-23-2016 12:16 PM)The Black Knight Wrote:  

(02-23-2016 11:31 AM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  This is the best thing about being a physician: the places with the most jobs and highest salaries are also the ones with the lowest costs of living and easiest access to the outdoors. In the United States for example, house prices and physician salaries are inversely correlated. Many docs making 600k+ per year work in areas where a huge mansion on a sizable property goes for 300-400k. It also has the ancillary benefit of not having to deal with the urban riff raff.

This was one of several main motivators for why I considered medical school and/or PA school at one point in the past. A guy with a medical background and a willingness to travel a bit (if only temporarily) to more rural and/or more remote places can make serious cash for pretty much forever. Generally speaking, you have a lot more autonomy and opportunity to practice a wide range of stuff as well; a real chance to be a jack of all trades via trial by fire given the lack of available help. Aside from a lack of urban related opportunities (random slut pussy and fun social stuff mainly), it would be a pretty sweet life.

But I just can't stomach 2 years of pre-reqs, 4 years of med school, and several years in residency for the opportunity (about 10 years total). Just too much investment (time and cost) for something that can be taken away (lose your license) relatively easily due a false accusation or some other bullshit. PA school has it's own issues too which I covered here:

/thread-51492...pid1143249

My ideal would be a very portable medical job with solid pay and relative low investment in time and cost. A BSN is probably the closest thing but I've heard and read a lot of rumblings lately in how entry level RNs are having a tough time getting hired these days. RN has been the goto field for a lot of people looking for stable work for a while now so it would make sense that the field is getting saturated; kind like how pharmacy ended up (hot in the 90s and over saturated in the 2000s).

I envy you folks who can take advantage of deals like the one in NZ; I'd be all over it in a millisecond.

You can become an RN just by going to community college in Texas. Many hospitals are now starting to require BSNs though as RN doesn't cut it enough anymore. There is still a major shortage of nurses, especially in BFE. For a flexible schedule you can try home health, at least the pay in texas is alright.....26-33 an hour and you choose your own schedule. Shit, one of my nurses made 250K a year as an RN. Then again he worked 100+ hours a week.

LPN/LVNs can make around 60K-75K if they put in the hours. You could work at a hospital as the primary gig then do home health on your days off for extra cash. Shit, you could even pull 3 16 hour shifts or 4 12s and have a good amount of days off.

As the baby boomers get older, the industry is going to grow fast as hell. Better to start a senior living facility or retirement center. Better yet, a funeral home.

Post: #25

(03-12-2016 10:23 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  As the baby boomers get older, the industry is going to grow fast as hell. Better to start a senior living facility or retirement center. Better yet, a funeral home.

I can second this. Friend of mine started a nursing business, it went through the roof. Now he's trying to sell up and retire. I get the impression starting one in the suburbs or a lesser-served area is your best bet.