Enjoy an outstanding lifestyle and establish yourself as a General Physician in Timaru Hospital in South Canterbury.
Timaru Hospital is small, but busy, it admits just under 5,000 patients, cares for 1,350 Day patients and attends to 12,000 outpatient appointments each year.
The 133-bed hospital employs approximately 950 people and delivers a range of inpatient, outpatient and community services to a regional population of 55,000.
- Well-respected hospital and well-run Medicine Department
- 5-10 minute commute to the office
- Affordable housing and excellent school options, ideal for young families
- Stunning natural landscape to you to explore and enjoy
What’s on Offer?
- Total package circa NZ$180,000 - $280,000 pa (approx. £96,000 - £149,000 pa), depending on experience
- Base salary range NZ$152,000 - $216,500 pa
- Includes NZ$16,000 CME Allowance pa + 10 days leave pa to attend conferences
- Relocation assistance available
The Hospital and Department
The hospital delivers a range of inpatient, outpatient and community secondary services to the people of the South Canterbury region. The hospital provides 24 hour, seven day acute medical, surgical and maternity services, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation (AT&R) services for older persons and a number of tertiary services through visiting clinicians.
Medical services offered are mainly general medicine with resident sub-specialty interests in gastroenterology, rheumatology and endocrinology. Visiting specialist clinics are also provided in neurology, cardiology, renal medicine and dermatology. A district nursing service is also available. Surgical services include both elective services and a 24-hour district trauma service supported by 24-hour specialist cover in general surgery, orthopaedics and gynaecology. Ophthalmology, ORL/ENT, oral and dental surgery also is provided, as are visiting oncology services.
The hospital may be considered small and you will find that by necessity most senior clinicians are generalists with some subspecialty interests, however you will also find the multidisciplinary team are a friendly bunch, highly professional and very welcoming of newcomers to the area. It’s 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 the time to spend with your patients.
The Department is well-run and there is great support from the Nursing and Allied Health staff. While there are no registrars, the junior doctors really enjoy spending time at this hospital and are really inspired to learn. The team are busy and the caseload is challenging, but there’s also time to socialise and enjoy the fantastic natural environment on your doorstep, especially if you like mountain biking, golfing, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, ski-ing or just playing with your children and spending time at the beach.
With a 1:6 weekend On Call roster commitment and regular time scheduled off the 24-bed General Medical Ward, the team think they have the right balance.
The Location
Just 2 hours south of Christchurch, Timaru is situated right on the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the magnificent Southern Alps, with the stunning South Islands Lakes (Tekapo, Pukaki, Aviemore, Benmore) an easy drive away. Slightly further south is Lake Wanaka and the famous resort town of Queenstown, all handy for a weekend away. There is fantastic ski-ing at premier ski-fields and for those who love golfing, there are some world class courses all within easy reach of Timaru itself.
It has long been viewed as a friendly, safe place to raise a family. The district has excellent primary and secondary schools and a local polytechnic. As well as being surrounded by a number of picturesque towns and smaller rural settlements, Timaru is almost equi-distant between the major university cities of Dunedin and Christchurch (which also has an international airport), both cities being within an easy 2 hour drive along the main highway. The region has a temperate, moderate climate with consistently high sunshine hours.
Click here to read more about the Timaru and South Canterbury Lifestyle
Requirement
Given the permanent nature of this role, you should be eligible for provisional vocational registration with Medical Council of New Zealand (or already hold vocational registration with MCNZ). This is the specialist pathway for registration and we can assist with all the paperwork if you are successfully appointed.
You can check the MCNZ website here to self-assess your eligibility for this pathway.
Although this is a permanent position, a fixed term period of 12 months (as minimum) may also be considered.
Contact Caroline for more details or to have a confidential discussion.