[Lupin]

Fewer than 50 per cent of overseas-trained doctors remain in New Zealand for more than a year after they are registered here.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10452503

This is a scandalous waste of resources :no
I'd be really interested in the statistics for immigrants in general. I've been so surprised by how many I've met that declare they're leaving within a year and that that hadn't been their initial intention.

[KerryS]

This statistic doesn't surprise me in the least.
My best friend is Finnish and did her medical training in Germany. She then spent 3 years in Ireland completing her surgical training in Cork.

After hearing me rave about NZ for a couple of years she applied to come over here to work. She was accepted straight away and had a work permit in a couple of weeks. The ADHB couldn't do more to get her here as quickly as possible.
But, once she was here it was a different story... She was put into a house officer post, way below that which she is qualified for. She had to assist in very basic surgeries and had to constantly complete paperwork to prove her work was up to standard. She was so bored and applied to the ADHB for an alternate post. They sent her to the plastics unit (her speciality) and she loved it. But, it was only for 3 months. She applied for a permanent registrar post, but although being offered it by the consultant, he had to reneg the offer as the ADHB wanted to offer it to someone else...
Then they sent her to do some work in the Emergency Dept, as they found out she had never done that before. Good reason - she had trained as a surgeon, and wasn't used to assessing medical cases any longer...
It was farcical, and culminated in her resigning and going back to Europe.

And she isn't the only one. I know of several of her friends who've also returned for being messed about as well.

She says she'd love to come back - she misses Auckland, and NZ and the lifestyle so much, but she can't sacrifice a career she has always wanted for that. She's spending another couple of years in Europe, hoping for a consultant post and then wants to come back to NZ again. I really hope she does!

[stu70]

I concur, this is a real waste of resources for all parties involved. How do you deal with it as a country? No silver bullet but lots of small steps the Govt can take; proactively manage the immigrant integration process, educating the locals about the needs of the nation and how skilled immigration is designed to provide the solutions, doing away with those categories under SMC who have little chance of succeeding even if they came and tried hard to get employment (realigning immigration with the needs of the nation), actively manage the property market in the country that has the potential to cripple NZ economy if the buble bursts, bringing employment standards in line with other developed nations, encouraging investments in the travel industry to allow for greater competition to take roots making it less taxing on the immigrants to travel to their places if needed, allowing industry a better say in the immigration policy, to name a few.

[pinkpiggy]

I saw this on the tv this morning. It also said that many NZ doctors only stay in NZ for about 3 years after qualifying - they are crippled with debt and feel that the best option for them is to move to Europe where they can get better pay and conditions.

It seems such a shame, particularly as many of them don't want to leave they just can't afford to stay.

[ellenmelon]

:uhoh its happening in australia a bit too