New Job. New Lifestyle. New Zealand 2021.
Consultant Psychiatrist (General Adult) in Timaru.
The hidden gem of the South Island. Stunning South Canterbury and the small city of Timaru – a great location where you can truly achieve that elusive work/life balance. Here you can really explore some of NZ’s most beautiful locations including Wanaka, Cardrona, the Akaroa Peninsula, and the National Parks, as well as the local Caroline Bay Beach in Timaru.
It’s also just a 4 hour very 'instagrammable' scenic drive to the famous resort town of Queenstown.
- Family friendly environment – pack up kids, the dog and the bikes!
- Permanent position, commencing 2022
- FRANZCP or equivalent specialist qualifications, e.g. MRCPsych with CCT
- Equally ideal for a new graduate or an experienced Psychiatrist
- Participate in the 1:4 on call roster
- 5-10 minute commute to the office
- Great schools, affordable housing and a safe community
- Explore the South Island at the weekends – Queenstown, Cardrona, Wanaka, Akaroa Peninsula, Christchurch, the Trans Alpine train journey, Franz Josef Glacier, Te Anau, Milford Sound and so much more in between!
The Hospital and Service
Timaru Hospital (133 beds, catchment population 62,000) is small but busy, employing approximately 950 people and delivers a range of inpatient, outpatient and community services to a regional population of 55,000. The hospital is small and by necessity most senior clinicians across the medical specialities are generalists with some subspecialty interests.
You will find the folks at Timaru Hospital a friendly bunch, highly professional and very welcoming of newcomers to their region. The Hospital is the ideal size in that you see a wide variety of cases, yet it is small enough that you will get to know the wider staff and have ample time to spend with your clients. And while there are no registrars, the medical students really enjoy spending time at this hospital and are inspired to learn.
The Mental Health & Addictions Service is well-run and there is great support from the Nursing and Allied Health team. Known as a trailblazing service (instrumental in pioneering the adoption of the ‘Strengths Based Recovery Model’ here in NZ), they are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic psychiatrist who can fit in with their existing team and add valuable expertise to their service and community.
The Role
You will work across the Inpatient, Community, and Addictions teams, alongside their skilled Nursing and Allied Health staff. You will undertake outpatient and inpatient work, as well as acute care cover and on call work (1:4 on call expectation).
There is the option of working either full time or part time (0.8fte minimum). You will definitely have time to work and play.
For this role, you will have broad specialist experience in General Adult Psychiatry and a sound understanding of contemporary models of care.
You will have proven leadership skills and experience working in a multidisciplinary team environment; an interest in medical education, teaching and research, including providing supervision and education to medical students and other clinical staff; and of course, a commitment to service development.
You will enjoy working in a multicultural workforce, and being based in a friendly coastal community.
What’s on offer?
- Total package ranges NZ$190,000 - $300,000 per annum, depending on level of experience
- This includes: Base salary from NZ$164,369 to $244,560 per annum, depending on level of experience; On call calculated on top of your base; Continuing Medical Education Allowance NZ$16,000 + 10 days CME leave pa.
- Plus relocation assistance
The Location
Timaru is situated right on the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the magnificent Southern Alps, with the stunning South Island Lakes (Tekapo, Pukaki, Aviemore, Benmore) an easy drive away. Slightly further south is Lake Wanaka, Cardona, and the famous resort town of Queenstown - all handy for a weekend getaway with family and friends.
It has long been viewed as a friendly, safe place to raise a family. The district has excellent primary and secondary schools. Real estate remains affordable with various options depending on your lifestyle needs. As well as being surrounded by a number of picturesque towns and smaller rural settlements, Timaru is equidistant from the major university cities of Dunedin and Christchurch, both cities being an easy 2 hour drive away.
South Canterbury has a temperate, moderate climate with consistently high sunshine hours. They may have snow in winter (great for skiing!) but they also have gloriously hot summers (great for beaches!), this makes it ideal for exploring the many bike trails, mountain walks and beaches in your leisure time.
The local Timaru Airport has regular daily flights to Wellington International Airport (and NZ’s capital city), making travel in/around regional NZ very easy, as well as providing great access to international flights connections to/from NZ.
Click here to read more about the Timaru and South Canterbury Lifestyle
Medical Registration
Ideally, you will hold FRANZCP and full Vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).
If you are an overseas specialist psychiatrist, you will hold equivalent specialist qualifications from either Australia (FRANZCP), the UK (MRCPsych/ FRCPsych and CCT), Canada (FRCPSC) or USA (current American Board Certification) that will enable Provisional Vocational (long term) registration or Locum Tenens (short term) registration.
These are the two specialist pathways for medical registration in NZ for psychiatrists and we can assist with the medical registration and visa, if successfully appointed.
*If appointed, in order to gain provisional vocational registration (long term specialist registration) your combination of qualifications, training and experience will be assessed by the Medical Council of NZ against the standard of the FRANZCP.
If interested in this role, but unsure if your experience is applicable, please get in touch with your CV and we can provide further guidance.
Primary Source Verification using EPIC
A Doctor’s relevant qualifications must be verified by ECFMG using the EPIC system on behalf of the Medical Council of New Zealand.
If you are committed to working in New Zealand, we encourage doctors to start this process off as soon as possible if you hold qualifications from outside NZ. Candidates are invited to log on to EPIC and complete this step online. EPIC verifies your identity and your qualifications directly with you.
Log on to EPIC here and read the FAQs section about how to get started.
Photo credit: South Canterbury NZ - Pass to Pub Bike Ride, Burkes Pass to Albury, Mackenzie District - Husky Photography