I completed my F2 year in New Zealand. I worked in Waikato hospital in the north island, including a rotation at Thames hospital, a small rural hospital in the Waikato DHB. My F1 year was in Bath hospital. My F2 rotations were: General medicine (Thames Hospital), ENT, Internal medicine and Paediatrics
Timeline for application
The Severn deanery deadline was in January, so I had to secure a job offer by then. I started applying for jobs in around October, and had an interview with Thames hospital around December.
Completing paperwork for new Zealand:
Before beginning work, you must have MCNZ licence (GMC equivalent of NZ), and a visa. The application for MCNZ is started by your employer, and you have to fill in the rest with your details. In order to complete this application, you need to set up an EPIC account- this is a company that verifies your documents
To create an account you must have a video call with a notary to confirm your identity- time slots book up very far in advance, so do this early to avoid delays.
You then need to have your medical degree and proof of full registration with the GMC before you can submit your application. Therefore you cannot submit this application until you have completed your year of F1 and been granted full registration with the GMC. Certificate of completion of F1 is not accepted.
Once you have MCNZ licence you can apply for a visa. Most UK doctors apply for Accredited employer work visa, which your employer will send you a link for the application. This takes a few weeks minimum to process, you can apply for this to be expedited, otherwise the wait time was advertised as 8 weeks on NZ immigration website. Medical indemnity insurance- Waikato hospital had a group scheme that they organised for me so I didn't have to do this independently.
Applying for Jobs
Most applications in NZ open in April/ May time, for a start date in January. Therefore there are fewer vacancies at the time that you must apply for f2 abroad.
I organised a job with Thames hospital, which allowed me to then continue on at Waikato in different specialties, in order to meet the requirements for Horus.
However, the specific rotations are very liable to change even after being sent a job offer detailing your rotations - this created a lot of uncertainty around whether my rotations would meet the requirements. I was fortunate in that the updated rotations were suitable, but others had their F2 overseas plans cancelled because of this.
Things to consider:
- It is not possible to begin your year in August; mid September is feasible. Therefore you will also not complete f2 until this time the following year.
- New Zealand does not have the SHO role in the same sense as the UK- You complete 2 House officer years, then can work as a registrar. An example of how this may affect you is that on a surgical run you will not be rostered to be in theatres, unlike an f2 SHO in the UK. - This is of course dependent on the hospital, and you may get a more hands on experience at smaller hospitals.
- Supervisors will not be familiar with Horus forms, however, in my experience, they were very happy to help complete them - It is just important to be knowledgeable of the requirements.
- Benefits of completing foundation training in the UK includes rostered self development time and study leave etc. This is difficult to organise in NZ as an IMG who is not in a NZ training programme.
- If you are working in NZ your contract will most likely follow the details on this link.
Benefits of completing F2 overseas
- Potential to have more choice over rotations and location- this was a big factor for me as I was not so happy with the job I was previously allocated for f2.
- Possibility for more hands on experience in smaller hospitals.
- Pay/ working conditions- often is a reason for many UK doctors working abroad. I have not yet come to a conclusion on this, I recommend reading the details of the contract in the link above. You do get free food on shift though, which is a plus.
Overall, I have enjoyed my experience completing F2 overseas, largely as I enjoy the outdoors activities New Zealand has to offer. If you are considering completing F2 overseas, I recommend talking to your foundation lead early in the year about your plans, maintain a good HORUS portfolio throughout F1.