Locum Tenens Abroad - Around the globe and back again

http://www.gmedical.com/ — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 15:39:43 -0600

They come from metropolitan centers and quaint, small-town communities. Personable and flexible, highly skilled and ready to work, they easily adapt to any situationat home and abroad. "They" are locum tenens physiciansand more and more of these doctors are deciding to expand their horizons beyond the borders of the United States. Many have an innate sense of adventure that pulls them toward exotic locales. And thanks, in part, to a deepening global shortage of medical personnel, there is no better time for physicians to put their skills to the international test than right now.

AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The idea of American doctors practicing overseas is not a novel one. However, until the past decade or so, this feat was accomplished primarily through humanitarian endeavors. As recently as the early 1990s, chances to work as locum tenens physicians beyond the U.S. were few and far between. A changing global atmosphere, however, quickly shifted the balance, at least in terms of requests from foreign clients. Says Alan Lakomski, chief operating officer for Murray, Utah-based Global Medical Staffing, "The combination of an aging physician population and an aging overall population has created a huge demand worldwide. And the problem is growing."

For example, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) puts the unofficial shortage of general practitioners in that country at more than 2,000. Australia has indeed been one of the nations with a history of welcoming foreign-trained physicians. And in early 2004, its Health Minister made a public statement saying the policy of encouraging overseas doctors to work in Australia would continue. New Zealand presents similar circumstances.

"Health systems in other countries are bringing in American-trained physicians because there is not an adequate supply of doctors to meet the needs of the population," asserts Abby Grayzel, international division manager for VISTA Staffing Solutions, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Adds Mr. Lakomski, "Many hospitals are ill-equipped to find staff, credential them, and then usher them through the orientation process, so staffing companies act as an ancillary wing."

Although there are not any industry statistics available, staffing representatives report a surge of interest in international opportunities among doctors. VISTA Staffing Solutions has only been placing locum tenens physicians internationally for little more than a year, but the decision to expand its services stemmed from the locum tenens physicians with whom they work. "We polled our active doctors," states Ms. Grayzel, "and they expressed an interest in opportunities overseas."

Global Medical Staffing has been placing physicians in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and on a few Caribbean islands for 10 years. During that time, more and more practitioners have expressed a desire to venture abroad.

Out of the numerous locations worldwide in need of healthcare providers, Australia and New Zealand appear to be the current forerunnersfor U.S. doctors as well as other physicians from around the globe, including those from South Africa, Great Britain, and India. "New Zealand and Australia seem to be a natural fit for locum tenens physicians," conveys Ms. Grayzel, "because the healthcare systems are comparable, the language is the same, and the countries are in a part of the world that interests people greatly."

Locum Tenens Abroad - Medical Jobs, Overseas, Doctors

Locum Tenens Abroad - Around the globe and back again