Radiologists have excellent job opportunities in New Zealand in the fields of general diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology and various subspecialist fields with the added bonus of flexible work schedules, including teleradiology reporting from home. International radiologists can expect generous relocation packages and visa sponsorship to ease the move. Read this article for some recommendations on searching for the right opportunities in radiology.

New Zealand is an attractive destination for radiologists looking for employment in the southern hemisphere. Recent major investments of $7 billion in the public healthcare system have financed hospital complete and partial reconstructions with many hospitals enjoying newly refurbished radiology departments equipped with the latest technology including tele-radiology reporting systems which have facilitated on call duties from home and the creation of a new special purpose scope of registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Radiology is one of New Zealand's most acute medical shortage specialities with a high percentage of international medical graduates occupying specialist radiologist positions. The speciality remains on Immigration New Zealand's green list tier 1, which affords radiologists special advantages in securing work visas and permanent residency. Whether you are looking for a permanent or long term position as a radiologist, a fixed term appointment for up to 12 months or a tele -radiology service contract, there are ample opportunities throughout both north and south islands of New Zealand.

Radiology Practice in New Zealand: Public and Private Sectors

Hospitals in New Zealand have modern radiology departments provisioned with MRI and CT scanners as well as ultrasound and digital radiography technology. The district general hospitals provide general diagnostic radiology services with some of the larger regional hospitals offering general interventional procedures. However, the range of interventional procedures provided in these hospitals is growing in response to local demographic pressures and the reluctance of patients to travel long distances for investigations and treatment, fueling a demand for radiologists with interventional skills or the interest to acquire these.

Most interventional radiology procedures, including neuroradiological procedures, are performed in the tertiary hospitals located in the major cities of Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington in the North Island and Christchurch and Dunedin in the South Island. Specialist diagnostic radiology services such as musculoskeletal radiology, abdominal and pelvic radiology, paediatric radiology and neuroradiology are also located in the tertiary hospitals, although some radiologists in the peripheral hospitals may practise these specialities as a sub speciality interest combined with general radiology but never exclusively.

Whilst most radiologists work with the public healthcare system, an increasing number of radiologists work in the private sector either in hospitals or diagnostic centres located throughout the country. These centres offer patients swift access to radiological investigations and interventional procedures in conveniently located modern facilities. They also play a key role in postgraduate medical education offering fellowship programs in highly specialised areas of radiology for radiologists who have just completed their vocational or residency training.

Many private clinics and hospitals are also approved to provide the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) mandated supervision for overseas specialist radiologists starting work in New Zealand making them attractive options for international physicians.

Radiologist Salaries and Remuneration Packages

Radiologists' salaries compare favourably with those of other healthcare systems in comparable countries and international physicians can expect relocation packages which cover the costs of moving to New Zealand.  The public healthcare system Health New Zealand, negotiates agreements with the union of specialists named the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. These collective agreements set out salaries and additional allowances and are updated yearly. The agreements include:

• salary for 40 hour week which is determined by years of experience since initial eligibility for vocational registration
• allowances for on call duties
• allowances for additional professional responsibilities
• study leave and allowances for conference expenses etc.
• 6 weeks annual leave
• reimbursement of medical practice expenses
• relocation and immigration support from overseas applicants to New Zealand

In the private sector, the remuneration packages are similar to those of the public sector and may also include:

• personal health insurance
• sign on incentives including accommodation support
• flexible work schedules

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists

4 Considerations for a Radiologist Job Search

1: Eligibility for Registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ)

Before applying for radiologist jobs in New Zealand, you must first establish if you are eligible for the correct scope of registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand, the sole medical regulatory authority. The registration category will usually be detailed in the job adverts, but there are only three potential options - vocational or provisional vocational, locum tenens and teleradiology. The latter two fall into the category of "special purpose" which renders them valid for a term of up to 12 months only. This is suitable for fixed term contracts but not for permanent jobs.

Most employers will not shortlist doctors for interview without proof from the MCNZ of eligibility for registration. Exceptions are often made for UK and Irish trained radiologists and less commonly for radiologists trained in one or more of the countries determined by the MCNZ to have comparable healthcare systems to that of New Zealand. These include the USA, Canada and most countries of Western Europe. There are no exceptions for anyone else and the process of MCNZ assessment for eligibility can take up to 6 months, so this must be factored into job search strategies.

2: Eligibility for a visa which allows you to work

Most healthcare facilities are registered as accredited employers with Immigration New Zealand and are therefore eligible to sponsor work visas for medical professionals. Accredited employer work visas allow physicians to live and work in New Zealand for up to 5 years and bring family members. However, some of the private radiology diagnostic centres are not accredited employers and cannot sponsor visas which means that prospective employees must be eligible for straight to residency visas on the grounds of possessing a job offer and green list Tier 1 skill, and be under age 55.

3: Scope of radiology practice

You should decide upon your scope of practice and focus on applying to jobs which reflect this. Do you want to work in a subspecialist field exclusively? Then concentrate on the tertiary hospitals. Do you want to mix general radiology with a subspecialist interest? Apply to the larger secondary care hospitals. Should you wish to work with a broad scope of general diagnostic radiology, then look at the smaller secondary care hospitals in the more rural areas. If research and academic work are important to you, head for the medical schools in Auckland and Dunedin and if clinical leaderships skills are something you wish to acquire, then pursue jobs in the larger hospitals.

In almost every job, radiologists are involved with the education, mentoring and supervision of junior radiologists in training for their FRANZCR exams.

4: Personal Goals : Career and Lifestyle

Whilst scope of radiology practice combined with professional registration and visa categories plays a major role in determining the potential job pool, personal career and lifestyle goals deserve some consideration. Opportunities for career progression in subspecialities or leadership may be limited in the smaller hospitals. Lifestyle considerations such as housing availability, transport links, schooling, leisure and cultural opportunities must be balanced with career goals.

Once you have carefully considered your preferences, you are ready to select the most suitable job opportunities in radiology.

How to Determine Eligibility for Registration as a Radiologist with the Medical Council of New Zealand

As noted above there are three possible scopes of registration for the specialist radiologist and the appropriate one is determined by qualifications, scope of practice and contract duration.

Vocational and Provisional Vocational Registration

This is the standard specialist registration category and is the most frequently used. Indeed it is essential for permanent and long term contracts (greater than 12 months). There are three pathways to apply for vocational registration. 

VOC 1- physicians who hold FRANZCR and general registration with the Australian Medical Board or Medical Council of New Zealand.
 VOC 2- physicians who hold FRANZCR but do not have general registration with the Australian Medical Board or Medical Council of New Zealand.
 VOC 3 - international medical graduates who have neither FRANZCR nor general registration with the Australian Medical Board or Medical Council of New Zealand.

Each application form lists the information which must be included with the application

This consists of the following:

1. completed VOC 3 application form
2. curriculum vitae
3. passport copy
4. copy of medical degree
5. copy of specialist qualification
6. copy of current medical practice registration / licence
7. 3 reference forms
8. an overview of specialist training programme
9. a log book of procedures performed
10. evidence of participation in Continuing Medical Education (CME)
11. EPIC Report of primary source verification of credentials 

Your application will go through initial checks with the MCNZ before being sent to the RANZCR for assessment. The assessment may take as long as 3-6 months and you may be invited to an interview conducted remotely with RANZCR assessors to clarify  any issues they have identified with your training.

Other things to consider include:

1. does the country in which you trained and practised have a comparable health system to New Zealand? The MCNZ has listed over 30 countries which it has rated as having healthcare systems of a similar standard and preference is generally given to applicants who have trained and worked in these countries.
2. how does the structure and length of your training programme compare with the New Zealand training programme for the vocational scope in which you are making your application?
3. have you been awarded a certificate of completion (or similar) for your basic and advanced specialist training? For example, the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) from the United Kingdom.
4. do you have recent clinical experience within the vocational scope in which you are making your application?
5. is your experience across the full vocational scope in which you are making your application or is it limited to a subspecialty only?

The Locum Tenens Radiologist

The locum tenens scope of registration is a special purpose registration which is valid for a maximum of 12 months and can only be used to work in fixed term contracts and locum jobs. 

You can apply for this pathway if you:

• intend to work temporarily in New Zealand for up to 12 months maximum
• have an approved postgraduate qualification for the special purpose locum tenens scope of practice, in the area of medicine in which you wish to work
• have been in active clinical practice for at least 20 hours per week for 22 of the last 36 months, relevant to the area of medicine in which you wish to work
• have had at least six months' practice under the jurisdiction of another medical regulatory authority, within the 12 months preceding the application - and provide evidence of satisfactory participation in any recertification programmes required by the authority. If no such requirements have been set, evidence of ongoing professional development during that period is required.

Approved Qualifications in Diagnostic and interventional radiology include

Australia and New Zealand

• Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists

Canada

• Fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• Specialist Certificate in Diagnostic Radiology of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

South Africa

• Fellowship of the Faculty of Radiology (Diagnostic) of the College of Medicine of South Africa
• Fellowship of the College of Radiologists (Diagnostic) of South Africa 
• Fellowship of the College of Diagnostic Radiologists of South Africa

United Kingdom

• Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists of London (if obtained after 12 January 1996, your Fellowship qualification must be accompanied by a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCST) issued by the Specialist Training Authority of the Medical Royal Colleges and if obtained after 30 September 2005, your Fellowship qualification must be accompanied by a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) issued by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board.

United States of America

• Certificate of the American Board of Radiology
• Certificate of the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology.
  

If you intend to work in New Zealand for more than 12 months and wish to be registered as a specialist, then you will need to apply for provisional vocational registration.

The Diagnostic Teleradiologist

The diagnostic teleradiologist is a new job title in New Zealand, created as a consequence of the digitalisation of radiology services with its own unique special purpose licence category with the MCNZ. The teleradiology scope of practice enables doctors without the recognised New Zealand or Australasian qualification (FRANZCR) to provide teleradiology services for patients in New Zealand by working with a New Zealand-based healthcare provider temporarily, up to a maximum of 12 months.

Radiologists applying for teleradiology jobs and MCNZ registration must meet the following criteria:

• hold a postgraduate qualification in radiology approved by the MCNZ
• hold registration within the same jurisdiction where the qualification was obtained
• have worked in radiology for 20 hours per week for at least 24 out of the last 36 months
• work for an overseas facility that is accredited by an appropriate accreditation body

Summary

• Radiologists have excellent job opportunities in New Zealand for both permanent and locum positions. Shorter fixed term contracts (usually 6-12 months) can be arranged in some hospitals for radiologists aiming to sample work in New Zealand as a sabbatical.
• Flexible work schedules are often possible and tele-reporting from home has replaced on call hospital duties. The Medical Council of New Zealand has created a new special purpose licence category for tele-radiology work.
• The majority of jobs are in the scope of diagnostic radiology but larger secondary hospitals and tertiary hospitals employ interventional radiologists and specialists in neuro radiology, breast radiology, paediatric radiology, musculoskeletal radiology and other specialist fields.
• After determining eligibility for registration (vocational, provisional vocational, tele radiology or locum tenens) with the MCNZ, physicians can assess career, lifestyle and family goals to determine preferred locations for a job search.

Our recruitment consultants are on hand to offer expert advice and assistance and can add considerable value to your job search. Please register your CV and contact us. You can view currently advertised jobs and apply for them.

Useful Resouces

While you continue your medical job search, Odyssey Recruitment provides useful resources to keep your career moving in the right direction. Begin the application process now, and then learn more about how we can help you.

• The 4 Stages of Medical Education in Australia and New Zealand
• New Zealand | Residency, Visas and Citizenship for Doctors and Dentists
• New Zealand | Understanding Medical and Dental Employment Contracts
• Practise Medicine and Dentistry in New Zealand - A Guide to the Healthcare System
• Medical Jobs by Specialty: Explore medical jobs around the world and learn about the various options and remuneration packages
• Medical Licensing: Check out the licensing requirements for each jurisdiction and how we help you
• Medical Job Search Tips: Use the content here to learn everything you need to know about optimal searches for medical in different geographical locations and the physician recruitment process.