| Doctor's are highly specialised individuals with an | | | | wages and salaries offshore. Although many of the |
| advanced knowledge of the medical and healthcare | | | | doctors that left New Zealand were in fact considered |
| field. For one to train to become a doctor it takes a | | | | short-term employees, the Association of Salaried |
| great number of years and highly specialised training | | | | Medical Specialists warns that New Zealand is facing |
| that allow the trainee to have a thorough and | | | | an unprecedented medical workforce crisis. |
| complete understanding of the complex needs and | | | | As the shortage for qualified doctors within New |
| inner workings of the human body. For those who | | | | Zealand appears consistent and enduring, the demand |
| have attained such medical qualifications, securing | | | | for qualified specialist doctors continues to grow. Along |
| doctors jobs is almost guaranteed. The New Zealand | | | | with the growing demand for qualified professionals, |
| Ministry of Development under the umbrella of the | | | | the trend towards an increase in the amount of |
| internal department, Kiwi Careers, stated that in 2006 | | | | modern day medical treatments being offered is also |
| there were 9,547 doctors working in full-time | | | | expanding. This further feeds into the demand for |
| employment in New Zealand in two main areas of | | | | qualified doctors to fill these jobs and administer the |
| healthcare. These two areas of healthcare are family | | | | procedures. There are also a number of patients living |
| medicine, which is inclusive of general practitioner | | | | with chronic diseases whose life expectancy is |
| specialists, and specialised doctors based in a hospital, | | | | increasing. Another contributing factor is the ever |
| or in a private practise that treat and see patients. | | | | increasing ageing population that require healthcare and |
| These specialist roles include surgeons, radiologists and | | | | medical attention. Unlike employment opportunities in |
| dermatologists. | | | | other industries, during the current financial climate, |
| Currently in New Zealand, as experienced globally, | | | | doctor jobs in the health care field are continuing to |
| there is a severe shortage of doctors across the | | | | grow steadily. |
| entire profession. Some of the specialist positions | | | | It is because of this surge in need for specialist and |
| suffering from this shortage include anaesthetists, | | | | qualified doctors that New Zealand is becoming |
| general surgeons, psychiatrists, radiation oncologists, | | | | increasingly reliant on overseas doctors. Employers are |
| radiologists, renal physicians, specialist physicians in | | | | increasingly hiring overseas-trained doctors in a bid to |
| palliative medicine and gene specialist physicians. | | | | combat the shortage. It is not uncommon for many |
| The New Zealand Government is actively supportive | | | | medical specialists to spend time working overseas to |
| of skilled people in these roles to entering New | | | | broaden their skills and experience, to become more |
| Zealand to work in these capacities. The reason for | | | | educated and well-rounded doctors. New Zealand |
| the shortage of these specialised doctors is partly | | | | provides a forward thinking, technologically savvy and |
| influenced by a period in July 2007, when at least 80 | | | | dedicated working environment in which overseas |
| specialist doctors left New Zealand over a 10 month | | | | medical professionals can flourish. |
| time frame, as they were said to be enticed by higher | | | | |