Successful Placement of Anaesthetist in Rural New Zealand Hospital

Despite significant challenges, including remote location, narrow parameters, and urgency, Odyssey Recruitment successfully recruited a Consultant Anaesthetist who was a perfect clinical and cultural fit for this rural hospital in just 6 months.

The Recruitment Brief

People tend to have strong opinions about where they want to live and work, and when it comes to a remote location like Whakatane, New Zealand, the answer is often a decisive “no.” New Zealand is one of the most remote and isolated countries in the world. Situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, its capital Auckland is three hours flight from closest neighbour Australia. The island nation is famed for its stunning landscapes which feature in films but as a place to live permanently it has more limited appeal.

Located in the eastern region of the Bay of Plenty on the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island, the town of Whakatane is a favoured destination for tourists and retirees seeking a relaxed and peaceful way of life amidst a beautiful coastline, stunning beaches and magnificent scenery. The town sounds idyllic, and indeed it is for holidaymakers. But for doctors seeking career opportunities, it does not offer the attractions of the larger towns and cities.

The hospital was a secondary care facility providing general medical and surgical services with a busy 24/7 emergency department. The catchment area included a large Maori community with complex medical problems, a transient tourist population and an elderly demographic. The typical case load was challenging, busy and stressful with limited collegial support. Physician turnover was high and recruitment a challenge, with many vacant posts in the hospital.

Odyssey's brief was to source a consultant anaesthetist who had:

• the qualifications in anaesthesia essential to secure provisional vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand
• experience of independent anaesthesia practice in a similar healthcare system to that of New Zealand and the ability and confidence to work with minimal supervision
• experience of practising anaesthesia in a rural and remote region
• experience working with peoples similar to the Maori
• a willingness in living in a small rural town

Managing Recruitment Expectations

On initial assessment the challenges seemed contradictory and insurmountable. Anaesthetists who have worked in the 24 developed countries with healthcare systems assessed by the Medical Council of New Zealand to be comparable to that of New Zealand, rarely have experience of rural medical practice or the particular healthcare challenges of remote, tribal peoples.

Our recruiters understood that a successful candidate search would need to focus on anaesthetists with experience of working in several different healthcare systems in both the developed and underdeveloped world. We opened the search with an announcement to our large and diverse pool of registered candidates. This piqued some initial curiosity but qualified candidates willing to seriously entertain a permanent move were few and far between.

Expanding the Candidate Pool

Our recruiters relentlessly pursued every candidate who expressed interest but to no avail. We deployed our digital recruitment strategy targeting candidates in countries further afield. One candidate attracted our interest. Working in Sudan as a Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr NS was fearful of the military coup engulfing his country, plunging it into chaos. He sought refuge in safer shores, far from the violence and disorder of Khartoum.

Initially interested in the Middle Eastern Gulf countries where he had worked before, Dr NS soon came to realise that the short term employment contracts of the Gulf region and government policies promoting local physician hire meant that these countries offered an insecure and uncertain future. Our recruiters suggested New Zealand as a perfect alternative. With its stable political and economic framework, safe environment and good schools supplemented by an easy pathway to permanent residency and citizenship, it potentially offered a stable home to Dr NS and his large family of young children.

Dr NS had trained as an anaesthetist in the Republic of Ireland and therefore had qualifications accepted by the Medical Council of New Zealand. His practice extended from Ireland to the UK (both comparable healthcare systems to that of New Zealand) to Saudi Arabia and Sudan where he had experience of working in remote areas and with the nomadic Bedouin peoples, similar in many ways to the Maori of New Zealand.

Our client arranged an interview and after a good performance offered Dr NS the job. However some reservations emerged: would he be able to secure the correct category of registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand? Would be be able to obtain a visa? And if so, would he be able to travel from Sudan to New Zealand? How long would this take?

Overcoming Hurdles

Negotiating the job offer was easy. Dr NS was delighted to accept the offer of a permanent employment contract in the rural hospital and allow his family to enjoy the peace and beauty of the eastern Bay of Plenty with permanent residency in New Zealand and the imminent prospect of full citizenship.

However before flights and accommodation could be booked, the regulatory hurdles of professional registration and immigration had to be tackled. The war like situation in Sudan caused frequent internet shutdowns, creating delays with reference checking and communication. Throughout our recruiters maintained open lines of communication via various alternative means, supporting both candidate and employer with regular progress updates. Our support helped our candidate obtain his registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand to permit his practice and straight to residence visas for him and family members.

Within 6 months of his interview, Dr NS was boarding his flight to New Zealand all set to start his new job and life in the Bay of Plenty.

The Secrets of Physician Recruitment Success

The challenges involved in this search were significant;  the remote location, the narrow parameters, the urgency of the timeline, and of course, the additional regulatory and immigrations procedures, compounded by the background of political instability.

Employers are often reluctant to consider and hire physicians who are working in troubled regions of the world assuming, often not unreasonably, that the onboarding process will be so long and tumultuous that the candidate will simply lose interest and drop out. This happens often. But this case proves that with thorough organisation, persistence and strong support, these challenges can be adeptly overcome with mutually beneficial outcomes to physician and employer.

If you have a difficult to fill position, the team at Odyssey Recruitment is eager to share our expertise and execute our proven digital recruitment strategy. Contact us today to begin a dedicated medical recruitment partnership.

Key Takeaways

• Despite the remote and challenging location, Odyssey Recruitment's approach, persistence, and effective communication were instrumental in the success of the recruitment.
• Odyssey Recruitment's willingness to collaborate closely with the candidate and client during the recruitment process and subsequent medical registration and immigration procedures ensured the positive outcome.