Strategy for an Anaesthetist Job Search in New Zealand
Anaesthetist jobs are plentiful in New Zealand for physicians who meet the registration requirements of the Medical Council of New Zealand. Across North and South Islands there are opportunities in specialist tertiary medical centres, secondary care hospitals and small rural hospitals. This article provides a strategy for finding the right job.
Doctors seeking anaesthetist jobs in New Zealand have a diverse range of options and before starting a job search it is wise to develop a strategy to focus on the right jobs based upon your own career and life goals, rather than waste time pursuing jobs which are ultimately unsuitable.
As an initial consideration, all anaesthetists planning to work in New Zealand must be eligible for the relevant registration category with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and posses the right to work in New Zealand as the holder of citizenship, permanent residency or an appropriate visa. Fortunately anaesthetists feature on Tier 1 of Immigration New Zealand's Green list and can obtain a visa after a job offer is secured and eligibility for professional registration established.
All international anaesthetists applying to work in New Zealand, are granted provisional vocational registration with the MCNZ and must complete an initial period of supervised practice of 6 -18 months duration before applying for full vocational registration.
In this article we detail a succinct list of 4 steps to help you build a successful job search.
1: Assess Eligibility for a License to Practice as an Anaesthetist in New Zealand
Before starting a job search, we recommend that you establish your eligibility for a licence to practise as an anaesthetist in New Zealand and the category of licence you can obtain, as that will determine which jobs you can apply for.
All anaesthetists must be registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand, preferably in the vocational scope of anaesthesia. For locum or fixed term appointments, locum tenens registration is accepted and for senior medical officer jobs, general registration may be accepted provided you are working towards meeting the criteria for vocational registration.
Below is an overview of the application process for eligibility for provisional vocational or vocational registration and locum tenens registration. Applications may be submitted to the MCNZ for an assessment of eligibility for provisional vocational registration and unless you hold one of the specialist qualifications for locum tenens registration (see below), it is best to do this before applying for jobs as the assessment may take 3-6 months.
Credentials Required for Anaesthetist Jobs in New Zealand
- a medical degree approved by the MCNZ
- 2 years of prevocational training
- 5 years of vocational training or equivalent practice experience
- FANZCA or equivalent specialist qualification in anaesthesia
- full registration as a specialist anaesthetist in jurisdiction of training and / or current practice
- ECFMG/EPIC primary source verification of qualifications (read our article about EPIC reports)
- English language proficiency (read the Medical Council of New Zealand's English language policy)
The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) does not have a list of recognised specialist qualifications from other countries and each application is assessed individually. Your combination of qualifications, training and experience, will be assessed against the standard of the FANZCA.
Essentially the MCNZ will look for evidence that you have completed an internship and second year of postgraduate experience (pre-vocational training) followed by five years of specialist training or equivalent experience.
3 Pathways to Vocational Registration as an Anaesthetist
VOC 1 - physicians who hold FANZCA and general registration with the Australian Medical Board or Medical Council of New Zealand.
VOC 2 - physicians who hold FANZCA 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 FANZCA 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 which consists of the following:
- completed VOC 1,2 or 3 application form
- curriculum vitae
- passport copy
- copy of medical degree
- copy of specialist qualification
- copy of current medical practice registration / licence
- 3 reference forms (RP6)
- an overview of specialist training programme
- evidence of participation in Continuing Medical Education (CME)
- EPIC Report of primary source verification of credentials
Your application will go through initial checks with the MCNZ before being sent to the ANZCA for assessment.
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) is the professional organisation for about 6400 specialist anaesthetists (Fellows) and 1500 anaesthetists in training (trainees) working in Australia and New Zealand.
ANZCA is one of the largest specialist medical colleges in Australia and New Zealand, and the region's foremost authority on anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine.
ANZCA is a recognised world leader in training, education, research, and setting clinical standards for its specialties.
ANZCA is responsible for training, assessing, and setting standards for all specialist anaesthetists and specialist pain medicine physicians wishing to practice in Australia and New Zealand.
As a proudly bi-national college, ANZCA offers training, research, and lifelong learning programs on both sides of the Tasman, and works closely with the governments, healthcare services, and communities in each country on a wide range of issues.
ANZCA also plays a significant role in advancing global health.
Anaesthetist Training in New Zealand
In New Zealand, vocational training in anaesthesia is undertaken through the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). This specialist college is responsible for postgraduate training in both Australia and New Zealand, as its name implies and training can be undertaken in either or both countries.
Once ANZCA training is complete the doctor is awarded the Fellowship of the ANZCA (FANZCA) which confers specialist recognition.
Before a doctor can apply to train as a specialist anaesthetist he or she must have completed two years of general hospital experience after graduating from medical school (pre-vocational training).
This can include up to 12 months in anaesthesia or intensive care but the aim is to ensure a grounding in general medicine and in disciplines other than anaesthesia.
The ANZCA anaesthesia training program starts for physicians at the level of PGY3+ and consists of five years’ supervised training:
- two years of introductory and basic training
- two years of advanced training
- one year of provisional fellowship training.
Training can be undertaken in approved hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. There are 4 training schemes in New Zealand:
- Northern Scheme
- Midland Scheme
- Central Scheme
- Southern Scheme
If a doctor applying to work in New Zealand has previous experience in anaesthesia or a related specialty, he or she may be able to accredit some of these experiences towards ANZCA training. The physician should register as a trainee with ANZCA and apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL).
If the prior learning is accepted, the doctor will be exempted from some of the components of the ANZCA Training Program.
ANZCA Assessment of Overseas Anaesthetists
Overseas anaesthetists applying for provisional vocational registration are assessed in comparison with the training requirements of New Zealand trained anaesthetists passing the FANZCA. The combination of formal training and recent practice is considered.
Recognised specialists in New Zealand must complete 7 years of training and satisfy the requirements below to obtain the FANZCA:
- 2 years of general medical experience
- 5 years of advanced, clinically based training, including experience in all subspecialties (intensive care, pain, paediatric, obstetric, cardiac and neurosurgical anaesthesia). Note: if a trainee wishes to practise predominantly in intensive care or pain medicine they must undertake further training in these disciplines.
- pass the FANZCA primary written and clinical examination (physiology, pharmacology, statistics and clinical measurement) before the third year of advanced training.
- pass the FANZCA final examination before commencing the fifth year training.
- complete a provisional fellowship year
- participate in the ANZCA continuing professional development programme.
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 24 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?
Locum Tenens Registration for Anaesthetist Jobs
Special purpose / Locum Tenens registration is valid for a maximum of 12 months and is useful for fixed term contracts and locums, if you have a specialist qualification which is listed by the MCNZ as accepted for this purpose.
List of approved qualifications for locum tenens specialist appointments - Anaesthesia
Australia and New Zealand
- Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
- Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Canada
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Certificate in Anaesthetics of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Ireland
- Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland
- Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
- CCST/CCT
South Africa
- Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists (South Africa)
- Master of Medicine (Anaes), University of Cape Town
- Master of Medicine (Anaes), University of Pretoria
- Master of Medicine (Anaes), University of Stellenbosch
United Kingdom
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists
- CCST/ CCT
United States of America
- Certificate of the American Board of Anesthesiology
- Certificate of the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology
2: Define Scope of Anaesthesia Practice
The MCNZ defines the scope of anaesthesia practice as "the provision of anaesthetics, peri-operative care, intensive care and pain management to patients. It can also include the management of resuscitation, retrieval and transportation (inter and intra hospital) and the practice of hyperbaric medicine. Encompassed in this is the advancement of professional standards, patient safety, education and the advancement of the science and practice of anaesthesia, perioperative medicine, intensive care and pain medicine."
The majority of specialist anaesthetist jobs in New Zealand are based in secondary care hospitals and rural hospitals and require a broad general scope of anaesthetic practice covering acute and elective surgical, obstetric and radiological interventional procedures. Neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery and paediatric surgery are largely confined to tertiary hospitals and the bulk of surgical practice in secondary hospitals consists of general surgery, urology, orthopaedics, ENT, ophthalmology and gynaecology.
Some hospitals encourage the practice of intensive care medicine and other secondary specialist interests for suitably qualified anaesthetists and some hospitals have facilities for retrieval medicine.
Tertiary hospitals located in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Dunedin have jobs dedicated wholly to secondary specialist fields such as cardiac anaesthesia, neuro anaesthesia, paediatric anaesthesia and pain management.
New Zealand's two medical schools Otago and Auckland are located in Dunedin and Auckland respectively, the academic centres of medicine and base of all pre-clinical and most clinical teaching. Although clinical teaching is conducted throughout hospitals in New Zealand for undergraduates and for resident medical officers training for FANZCA, anaesthetists seeking an academic career are best to apply to the two major academic centres.
Fellowships are available in:
- pain medicine
- cardiac anaesthesia
- paediatric anaesthesia
- neuro-anaesthesia
- critical care medicine
- retrieval medicine
Both your current scope of practice and career goals are key to determining the best place to work. If you wish to practise exclusively or take a fellowship in a highly specialised field, then tertiary hospitals are the right place to look for jobs. If you like the challenge of working in rural hospitals, there are many throughout both North and South Island. But for most anaesthetists, the secondary care hospitals offer the bulk of practice opportunities and a large variety of clinical experience.
3. Select Suitable Practice Locations
Whilst job location is closely connected to the scope of practice which may the most important consideration for the anaesthetist, other aspects of the location may dominate the interests of accompanying family members. Each location should be thoroughly researched for its suitability for all.
Some important considerations include:
- availability and cost of housing
- domestic and international flight routes and connections
- availability of jobs for spouses
- opportunities for private anaesthetic practice
- commuting times from home to work
- type and quality of local schools
- local cultural attractions
- sports facilities
- outdoor activities
4: Prepare Relevant Job Application Documents
The three important job search documents, specifically your CV, Cover Letter and List of Referees should be prepared in template format and edited for each job application addressing the following issues:
- the essential professional requirements of the job ie licence to practice, qualifications and experience, English proficiency
- relevant experience with a similar scope of practice
- key skills and achievements
- relevant research and publications
- career goals
- your own motivations for applying.
Summary
After some thorough research and analysis of your own and family member interests, you should be able to formulate a clear vision of how and where you wish to practice anaesthesia in New Zealand and start to apply for jobs. Our recruitment consultants are on hand to offer expert advise 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.
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