January:
- We settled into our beautiful new offices on Alva Street – a Georgian townhouse in the heart of Edinburgh’s West End. We now have the much-needed space to grow our team.
- Claire G started the year in Sydney and took on her first batch of Doctors upon her return in January and has now completed 25 Doctors’ registration and immigration applications.
- We had our annual company review meeting, reviewing 2011, setting the scene for 2012 and celebrating achievements. Two recruiters from our team won awards: Recruitment Consultant of the Year – Jonathan & Newcomer of the Year – Caroline.
- Anna went to Iceland and saw the Northern Lights and went ATV riding over lava fields and up snowy mountains, snorkelling in Silfra, sub-zero water where two tectonic plates meet and luxuriating in the thermal pools while snow fell.
5 Doctors accepted offers in January and 5 started their new jobs.
February:
- Jonathan and Sharon made their way down to London to exhibit at the College of Emergency Medicine conference.
- Annie and Laura placed a Doctor in Tajikistan, a new territory for us.
15 Doctors accepted offers in February and 10 started their new jobs.
March:
7 Doctors accepted offers in March and 4 started their new jobs.
April:
- We met CareFlight Queensland in London and agreed we would be their sole UK supplier of recruitment services for Registrars and Consultants.
- Laura got married at Edinburgh Zoo whilst Emma jetted off for a family holiday and her brother’s wedding in Portugal.
9 Doctors accepted offers in April and 2 started their new jobs.
May:
- Gemma got married in Edinburgh.
- Carol M completed the Great Glen Way Walk (73 miles) over 3 days in May with 18 others – collectively raising just over £15,000 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
- Anna and Chloe (the two sisters in our team) went to Portugal with their families, staying in a beautiful villa to celebrate their parents’ big birthdays.
9 Doctors accepted offers in May and 4 started their new jobs.
June:
- Anna and Nicky G travelled to Australia (Nicky’s first time down under) – it was a whirlwind trip through three states and they visited 40 clients in 2 weeks and still managed to cram in some sightseeing, including spotting a Humpback Whale in the wild, snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and spending time in Sydney and Melbourne.
- Caroline and Jonathan attended the International Conference in Emergency Medicine (and especially enjoyed the evening at the Guinness Storehouse).
12 Doctors accepted offers in June and 7 started their new jobs.
July:
- Claire G was accepted onto the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Graduate Certificate in New Zealand Immigration Course (which will start in February 2013).
- Jen was lucky enough to be dining with the Queen at her Garden Party at Holyrood Palace.
- Caroline had a fantastic trip to Wiesbaden, Germany, visiting friends and relaxing in the 30 degree heat.
11 Doctors accepted offers in July and 5 started their new jobs.
August:
- Sports fan Yan caught Olympic fever and soon the whole team was drawn in – and the event certainly didn’t disappoint.
- Jen, Laura and Caroline all sat and passed the REC certificate and more passes for Emma and Nicky G who sat the first exam for the REC Diploma.
- Annie spent a week enjoying the sunshine in Turkey in a beautiful beach resort.
- Plenty of fun was had at the annual company BBQ.
9 Doctors accepted offers in August and 19 started their new jobs.
September:
- We revealed our new brand and website – an important moment for us and we’ve had plenty of positive feedback.
- And we got excited when Jonathan proposed to girlfriend Keira in Paris (she said yes!)
5 Doctors accepted offers in September and 7 started their new jobs.
October:
- Nicky M and Emma spent a few days in Glasgow talking to GPs at the annual RCGP event.
- Nicky G enjoyed a family holiday in Florida watching her little boy (a huge Star Wars fan) taking part in the Jedi Knight Training Academy and fighting Darth Vader in a lightsaber battle!
- Anna, Sharon, Emma, Caroline and Laura met many lovely Doctors at the BMJ Careers Fair in London.
10 Doctors accepted offers in October and 5 started their new jobs.
November:
- Jim birdied the last hole of his final round of golf in Dubai by draining a 25 foot putt at Emirates Golf Club. He then returned to the UK to start with us and was finally reunited with his wife and daughters (after living apart for almost 6 months).
- Yan and Jonathan attended the Acute and General Medicine Conference in ‘the big smoke’.
6 Doctors accepted offers in November and 7 started their new jobs.
December:
- Anna’s second visit to Doha, Qatar (accompanied by Laura) to meet with our client Sidra Medical and Research Centre followed by a few days in spectacular Abu Dhabi.
- Carol H became an Aunty for the 3rd time to little Josie.
- Caroline is looking forward to seeing The Hobbit – “The Shire” is about 45 minutes from her hometown in New Zealand.
- Nicky M placed a GP in a long term locum in the Falkland Islands, another new territory for us.
- Gemma saw one of our longest standing Doctors complete the registration process and leave the UK on route to Oz for a January start date, more than a year after she first started working with him (the delays he has faced have been through no fault of his or ourselves, just the bureaucratic nature of dealing with the training bodies and institutions in his home country). He was a real delight to work with and it is an even bigger delight to have finally succeeded in getting things finalised for him so that he and his young family can start their new lives down under. A great end to 2012!
9 Doctors accepted offers in December and 3 started their new jobs.
All in all, 107 Doctors accepted offers through us in 2012 and 78 took the next step in their career and started their new jobs in exciting places around the world. Meanwhile, our own team grew as well: a total of seven people joined us this year and we all look forward to a great 2013.
We’d like to wish you a fabulous festive season and a happy new year!
Anna &
the team