# USA doc likely to move to rural South Island



## maijajo (Jan 7, 2013)

Hi all - 

My husband and I may be moving to South Island, rural, near Dunedin. We have a job offer for him, a GP physician. We are excited but a bit scared!! We have a 9-year-old son. Anyone in the medical profession have any advice? How hard is it to get used to the NZ health system as a doctor?

Personally, as the wife who takes care of the details, are the schools decent? Is there much snow in the Dunedin area? Blah blah blah ... so much to ask!

Any advice is greatly welcomed. Thank you!


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## pcrial (Sep 27, 2010)

maijajo said:


> Hi all -
> 
> My husband and I may be moving to South Island, rural, near Dunedin. We have a job offer for him, a GP physician. We are excited but a bit scared!! We have a 9-year-old son. Anyone in the medical profession have any advice? How hard is it to get used to the NZ health system as a doctor?
> 
> ...


Hello maijajo,

I've never been there, but I spent more than 40 years in engineering. So I knew the buzzwords to find the answer. The climatic region for Dunedin, South Island is NZS 4218:1996, SNZ, 1996

I'm sure this will be completely meaningless to you except if you write that down, you can look up all sorts of data in an ASHRAE manual. I'm aware this still doesn't answer your question directly, but let me explain. ASHRAE is a funny sounding name for the manual refrigeration and heating engineers use to get the base data to calculate how a house must be built and insulated to provide comfort for the inhabitants.

I've lived (temporarily) in extreme climates. You will not have trouble adapting if, you make sure you get a house that is properly constructed for the climatic data referenced above, and if, you make sure the garage where you park the car has what is needed to keep the car in good order.

As humans we are extremely adaptable. Winter in extreme cold isn't really different from winter in milder climates. This is explained in that your adaptation results in your clothing, your house, your car making the environment so that you can be comfortable.

I've been cold enough on the gulf coast of the USA (semi-tropical climate) to have hypothermia, and my lips turned blue. The day was 40 degrees Fahrenheit, misty rain and high winds. To someone living in the Artic area it would have seemed warm.

I used to fly back and forth from the heat of the Mexico desert, to the cold north. I got off the plane after leaving 40 degree below zero and found 67 degree Fahrenheit in the Mexico desert. The Mexicans had leather jackets and gloves, and I was walking around in my shirt sleeves.

Your level of adaptation has a big effect on the way you feel. You can find lots of climatic data by just googling 4218:1996, SNZ, 1996. A lot of the results of the google search will be housing data, but you will also find climatic data.

Cheers,


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## suslik (Jul 20, 2012)

Hi maijajo,

I lived in Wanaka (4 hours drive from Dunedin) for three years and visited Dunedin several times, so I'm not a local per se, but I'm familiar with it =).

Dunedin is sort of like coastal England: fairly humid and open to the wind. As a result it can feel very chilly, even in summer, if the wind comes from the right direction, but overall the ocean balances the temperatures out: it doesn't get ridiculously hot during summer, and it rarely gets cold enough for snow to stick around in winter. (It does snow several times each winter, but usually the snow melts within a day or two, and you're more likely to get wet, cold sleet than snow.) 

Springtime is windy; so is autumn. If there's some unstable weather crossing the country, Dunedin can be fairly certain it'll get AT LEAST showers if not more - regardless of the season. On the plus side: vegetation is lovely and green =).

Spring and autumn is sort of like: sun is out, now it's back in the clouds again, oh, look, there's a little bit of rain coming down!, rain's ended back to sunshine, whoa!, where did that wind come from?!, rain again, now it's back to sunshine... Basically: pack a jumper or two =).

Maria


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## chanahluppens (Jan 20, 2013)

*Why are you coming?*



> My husband and I may be moving to South Island, rural, near Dunedin. We have a job offer for him, a GP physician. We are excited but a bit scared!! We have a 9-year-old son. Anyone in the medical profession have any advice? How hard is it to get used to the NZ health system as a doctor?
> 
> Personally, as the wife who takes care of the details, are the schools decent? Is there much snow in the Dunedin area? Blah blah blah ... so much to ask!


Hi there-
How well you adapt to the health system depends largely upon why you are coming and what you are expecting. We've seen a lot of American doctors and nurses come and go here-I only know of two other American nurses still here (both married Kiwis BTW) and one "Natural style/DO" Doc who is practising up North.

Many docotrs leave because of the salary-generally $100,000-$150,000 (MAX)-we have a graduated level tax system that begins at 14% and you will pay 33% tax on anything over $70,000 earned. Living expenses are MUCH higher here then in the States-everything from housing to food to gasoline-so your take home pay will be much less than what you are use to once the basic bills are paid.The work hours are much better and unions are very strong. I am assuming you will be working for the Health Board if you are going rural as most private docs are specialized and in Christchurch or other major areas.

Rather then having to deal with insurance companies, you will be following the protocal set forth by the government-there is a set procedure of how and when to do things-what tests to perform and if you want to order certain tests (say a scan at public hospital)-you can only make the referral (for free care)once you have completed all the bloodwork necessary according to the published standards. The positive side is that you no longer have to order unneccesary procedures and tests to cover yourself in the event of litigation

American who move here often take a few years to "really" settle in-especially in rural settings...but that depends a great deal on your personality and the personality of your clients. The American doc I referred to up North was nearly "run out of town" here in Christchurch, but is doing very well once he relocated to a different part of the country that was more "in synch" with his philosophy of medicine.

You will have to rely much more upon your "training" and basic medical knowledge and less upon machine tests and scans, especially if doing rural health. Advanced testing is available, but you need to be confident in basic physiology, disease and common health diagnosis. Several American doctors have had a great deal of difficulty in obtaining New Zealand credentials/qualifications (passing the test)because BASIC anatomy, phys and and health assessment may not have been used as often as will be necessary in NZ Rural Health.....

It makes no difference about the weather-if you are American, then you will be cold as there is very very very little central heating and most people only use a heat pump in what can be cold houses. Bring lined windbreakers as the wind in winter can cut straight through you-and yes you will have snow in Dunedin-how much depends upon where you are coming from in the States.

If you are in an upper middle class school in the States your son will probably find the schools here easy, if he goes from 3rd grade to Year 3. Americans schools are much more academic early on then the Kiwis who teach the basics in a good sound way but find that manners and social skills are just as important-because of the way the school year runs, if your son does find it easy you should ask if he meets "the national standard" for say Year 3 and then have him move up a year if he does. My 5 1/2 year old daughter is starting Year 1 (1st grade) and in the States she would still be in Kindergarten. Schools have many more field trips and social opportunities then in the States-Rachel has two field trips PER TERM (quarter) with her class-she went rock climbing (indoor) to the beach for surf lifesaving classes, gymnastics for the day, and in Year 4 they go away for a week during the school term to camp!!! If you are into social, then Kiwi school are much more fun-but being in a small town just make sure your son is adjusting and fitting in so he can enjoy this great country and have a good experience with friends. Since doctors (especially Americans) tend to come and go, it might take a bit for the locals to realize that you and your son are "here to stay". Good luck-let me know if and when you actually come

Chanah


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