Read What Other Doctors Say
Comments from some of the employers & doctors already working with us will help you to know what to expect:
Doctors
"In regards to quality of life and work life balance, I spend more time at home and will have 70% more time to spend with my family and 50% less work as compared to UK, It works as a rota system with 8 hours shift per week and alternate weekend shift, but then I get 2 days off during the week. I will be renting a water front apartment in September with a fantastic view of the ocean and marina. I am training toward my recreational flying licence and tomorrow I have my recreational boats and Jet Ski licence. It really cannot get better than this and all thanks to everyone at Head Medical. It is worth the wait and I would recommend it to anyone." Dr Insar Hafeez, GP, Townsville, QLD (AUgust 2010)
"It has been such a pleasure working with you (and your colleagues during your holiday)! You worked so patiently with me and listened to all of my specific needs/wants for New Zealand. With your help I feel I have landed the perfect job in NZ! I will be happy to work with you on future jobs in NZ and Australia after my year's assignment. Thanks so much from a very pleased client!!" Dr Nicole McGinty, GP, Taupo, New Zealand (July 2010)
"Where do I begin –but with what an excellent and highly efficient run organization. My experience with Head Medical for recruitment in Australia 2010 has been an excellent one! Initial stages of the application include preparing a CV, which they can guide you though if you are not too sure and then fairly swiftly head medical will submit this according to your job specification and location. If successful you will then gain an interview, hopefully in the area requested and the interview is essentially a view of why you have chosen your given location, why you want to work abroad, career intentions and what you hope to gain from the post. Final part of the interview consists of two clinical scenarios, which may require specific knowledge of treatments, however this process is fairly relaxed and from my experience it was not at all intimidating. If successful you will then progress through a series of what can be quite lengthy paperwork and documents however again head medical are fantastic at organizing this so that it is as hassle free and understandable for you to complete. The final part of the process once medical registration has been granted with your respective medical board is the visa requirements for working abroad, which will require a full medical examination and attachments of various official documents to support your visa application. Excellent agency that I stumbled upon and the staff at head medical are fantastic and I would definitely recommend this site to any junior/senior doctors looking to further their career in medicine of any specialty away from home." Dr Gurmit Gill, SHO in Emergency Medicine, June 2010 (Starting job in Queensland, Australia August 2010)
"I always received full and complete advice from Head Medical on any question I raised and very reliable guidance throughout the entire process of searching for and starting a new job. The response by my recruiter was always very quick, information accurate and always tailored to my specific demands and given to me in time. My regulatory consultant also gave very good guidance on and support in the very complex process of gaining Medical registration in the country. New Zealand is quite different from the U.K in many ways. The density of population and the total number of people living here, the different historical settings between Maori and European settlers, as well as the different scale of resources available, makes the medical practice quite different in practical terms. I definitely think it is worth reading some of the information booklets available from the Medical Council of New Zealand before arriving in New Zealand, to gain an understanding of the moral and common sense aspects of NZ practice. I would strongly discourage anyone considering making the move from the UK to NZ to consider doing it independently, without expert's assistance. It is not only about a doctor's professional profile and a successful interview. There are many unexpected obstacles throughout the process of registration and relocation that without well structured assistance could easily turn into disaster." Dr Martin Dvoracek, Consultant Anaesthetist & Intensivist, Dunedin, New Zealand (June 2010)
"Head Medical helped me to find a permanent position in Australian General Practice. They took the stress out of filling forms, applying for visas and negotiating with employers in Australia. This finally led to my position in a practice that both suits me as a doctor and the employing practice. I really think that I have found a 'good fit' and this will enable me to enjoy my time in Australia and further my career in General Practice" Dr R.Hall, GP (April 2010)
"I'm sorry that I haven't emailed you sooner - we've been house-hunting and are moving in tomorrow morning, I can't wait! New Zealand is lovely! The job's great and the staff are really friendly. Thank you again for all that you've done. Thank you for all your hard work; from finding this position and organising an interview for me, right through to arranging the routine Medical Council interview and initial accommodation on arrival. Your team has been excellent in guiding me through the paperwork involved making the whole process seem easy - even for a form-phobic like me! I'm especially grateful for the visa and immigration information you provided to help my (non-medical) partner make the move to New Zealand with me. Every step was planned with ample time which made the transfer virtually stress-free. Throughout every stage of the process your friendly and enthusiastic team has been wonderful by keeping in touch regularly and being available to answer any questions that arose. Again, thank you for all that you have done. I would definitely recommend Head Medical!" Dr Kathleen Merrick, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Registrar, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, (January 2010)
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for all the hard work and great efficient communication I have had with Head Medical. Your services have been outstanding. I sincerely hope that we can work together in the future. Dr David Burrows, Consultant Radiologist, Canada (September 2009)
"Sharon was very helpful in finding us jobs in the fields we wanted and the location we wanted (near ski fields). She gave us advice and help on everything from applying for medical council registration to where to buy cars from. She kept track of what needed to be done and got on our backs/helped us when we hadn't filled the appropriate bit of paperwork in. NZ is great. Had a lovely holiday walking, skiing and kayaking before we started work. The principles of medicine are the same although the inevitable paperwork is somewhat different. However people seem much more easy going here. There's even a cat (Norman) on one of the wards. The sun (even winter) and wine are a definite bonus. So far, highly recommended." Dr Patrick & Dr Sophie Burch, Senior House Officers, New Zealand (August 2009)
"We love it here, got a lot of help in the beginning so we got into everything really fast... We now have a rather large new house right on the beach with 3 large terraces to enjoy the fantastic view of Ohope Beach and the kids just love Trident High. They have got a lot of friends and seem to be quite popular.... Everyone is so nice friendly and helpful and workload is not so high at work. There are a lot of on calls, but the on calls are normally calm and they give a lot of extra money. We a have booked a trip to Fiji for September. I have been talking very well about you and Gemma and how good Head Medical is... You are fantastic to work with...." Dr Mats Carlson, O&G Consultant 12 month contract at Whakatane Hospital, New Zealand (August 2009)
"Thank you for all your help with arranging my current Locum Consultant post in Auckland, which is proving to be a very enjoyable break between completing training and taking up (hopefully!) a permanent Consultant post back in the UK, and a chance to visit those of our family who emigrated out here to New Zealand years ago. The service you provided was excellent and particular strengths were the frequent and personal contact with reassuring updates on how the necessary bureaucratic processes were progressing, and your practical advice on necessary essentials such as accommodation, travel within New Zealand, tips on driving, transferring money and so on. In future I will have no hesitation in recommending your services to any friend or colleague in the UK contemplating period working in New Zealand or Australia." Dr Andrew J M Broadley, Consultant Cardiologist (August 2009)
"Thank you for your understanding, and the advice…. I would be delighted to recommend this agency, in fact I can't speak highly enough of your service.... I used a recruitment agency when I last went to Australia, but although they were good, there was no comparison between them and the service you provide. Head Medical shows such dedication in getting to know their clients, and looking for something to meet one's needs. I will be more than happy to recommend you to anyone I know who is looking for work in Australia." Dr McInerney, Senior Registrar Forensic Psychiatry, Ireland (March 2009)
Employers
"CareFlight Medical Services recruits advanced trainee registrars in emergency medicine, anaesthetics or intensive care as retrieval registrars working in the pre-hospital environment for minimum six month terms in six various locations throughout Queensland, Australia. In 2009 we contracted Head Medical to assist us with recruitment of doctors within the UK. Our experience so far has been that Head Medical, and particularly Sharon Dodds, have been extremely professional in their approach to our recruitment solutions, and have put forward several Doctors who meet our requirements. It is a pleasure to deal with such a professional organisation, who not only recruit doctors for us, but also handle the Immigration visa process and Australian Medical Council and Medical Board registration requirements." Ruth Northcott, Careflight, Clinical and Human Resources Manager, Australia(May 2010)
"Sharon thanks for all your help. From sourcing the doctors, to organising interviews, reference checks, all the paperwork for the Medical Council in a prompt and timely manner and ensuring that our Junior Doctors started on time. This is not always the case with overseas candidates, so its great to deal with an agency that gets it right. Hope we can work together in the future." Deborah Carter, RMO Co-Ordinator, Wairau Hospital, New Zealand (August 2009)
"Thanks for this Anna. I wish all agencies were as efficient as you have been. You provide a service and deliver on what you say you will do. You have always responded promptly to my requests. What can I say, it is great working with you!" Charles Hunt, Recruitment Manager, Taranaki District Health Board, New Zealand (March 2009):
Tell us what you think
We are always seeking to improve our service and are keen to take on board any comments and ideas on how we can continue to be good at what we do. If you have any comments we’d love to hear from you so please email us.