Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The secret to travel doctor success? Bring your family.

John Gallehr, MD
Physician
November 29, 2019
Share
Tweet
Share

I recently returned from my second extended stay in New Zealand with my family. The entire experience was wonderful, but perhaps our most memorable day began with our three teenage sons waking up early to surf in the South Pacific Ocean. Once we had our fill of tropical paradise, we jumped in the car and drove a few hours to the local ski resort, where we found 10 feet of snow.

The transition from sunrise surfing to afternoon skiing felt like something out of a fairy tale, but it was the very real charmed life we were living in one of the most beautiful countries on earth.

It’s worth noting that we are from the United States, and I was in New Zealand working as a child psychologist. How is it possible to have such amazing adventures in another country with my family while maintaining a very busy and high-stress job?

The answer is locum tenens.

Many doctors I’ve been in association with have considered travel work at some point in their career, but most think it’s something they should have done early on or might still do in their twilight years. Especially for doctors with families, travel work seems like an impossible dream.

However, I would urge any doctor or nurse who has given up the travel dream because of family obligations to reconsider. Instead, plan to take them with you. I know from our experiences that travel work is even better with your family by your side.

Here is how we did it.

We jumped into the adventure

I learned about international locum tenens years ago from a fellow resident. She was part of a program in Australia, and the idea of doing what I loved in another country was fascinating. Still, it took quite a few years for me to arrange it. International locum tenens assignments are generally several months long, so it wasn’t until 2013 that I was able to work in New Zealand for the first time.

There will always be another reason to put it off and try another time, but international work is a wonderful experience that every doctor should have. Do it as soon as you have the chance and plan to take your family.

We discussed expectations ahead of time

When our first opportunity to work in New Zealand came up, I knew I wanted to share the adventure with my husband and our children. But it was important to have everyone on board with the idea of living in another country. We sat down with everyone and discussed how to make the experience work.

Our teenage sons attended wonderful public schools in New Zealand, and when they weren’t studying, they were embracing everything New Zealand has to offer. They went hunting, fishing, camping, sailing, and climbing mountains — not to mention surfing and skiing.

My husband is a talented nurse, but we didn’t have enough time for him to also work a travel assignment. So, he embraced taking care of the kids and telecommuting back to the States for his second career as a dog breeder and administrator for a magazine. We hope to return for another locum experience where he can work as well, but establishing an understanding upfront was important.

We worked with a team that simplified the process

A representative at a global staffing company first approached me during a perfect open spot between jobs. Since then, my experiences working with a professional international locum tenens partner have been outstanding.

ADVERTISEMENT

Traveling to another country for work requires a huge amount of paperwork, including visas for family members. The team streamlined the entire process for us, filling out the forms, telling me where to sign, and helping me understand how to proceed.

My rep also takes care of any problems, and it’s lifesaving to have someone to call, email, or text if something does arise. Most of the time, she solves any problems before I even realize there are problems.

We enjoyed the country for its unique benefits, features, and culture 

New Zealand has to be the most beautiful country in the world — every time you go over another hill, you find more stunning, amazing scenery. The people are wonderful and friendly, and generally, enjoy having people from other cultures come into their country.

For me, coming to New Zealand was a wonderful way to recharge my batteries, learn some new techniques, and discover a different style of medicine. For example, in New Zealand, I’ve made numerous house calls, which is something I never did in the States. But I quickly learned that we can accomplish more in an hour or two around someone’s kitchen table than we could with a dozen office visits.

Working in New Zealand has been fantastic for my family. Our boys have grown by leaps and bounds and now have a network of friends that they’ll take with them throughout the rest of their lives. On a professional level, working with doctors and nurses in another country has been a wonderful experience. My colleagues have been very supportive and always willing to help us understand and navigate the cultural differences.

I wanted to become a doctor because I enjoy being with people, and I plan on practicing medicine in New Zealand whenever I can for many years to come. By discussing the adventure ahead of time with our family and diving in with a great partner, we have been able to truly enjoy our experiences and created memories that will last a lifetime.

John Gallehr is a psychiatrist, Global Medical Staffing.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Physicians are usually adulting in every other aspect of their life except money

November 28, 2019 Kevin 1
…
Next

What would an optimal single-payer health care system look like?

November 29, 2019 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Physicians are usually adulting in every other aspect of their life except money
Next Post >
What would an optimal single-payer health care system look like?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Osler and the doctor-patient relationship

    Leonard Wang
  • Why travel bans in response to Omicron are harmful

    Michelle Verghese
  • Finding a new doctor is like dating

    R. Lynn Barnett
  • 5 ways to maintain family bonds in medical school

    Micaela Stevenson
  • Recognizing the secret identity of physicians

    Lindsay Mazotti, MD
  • Doctor, how are you, really?

    Deborah Courtney

More in Physician

  • From basketball to bedside: Finding connection through March Madness

    Caitlin J. McCarthy, MD
  • The invisible weight carried by Black female physicians

    Trisza Leann Ray, DO
  • A female doctor’s day: exhaustion, sacrifice, and a single moment of joy

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • The hidden cost of malpractice: Why doctors are losing control

    Howard Smith, MD
  • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

    Neil Baum, MD
  • Rediscovering the soul of medicine in the quiet of a Sunday morning

    Syed Ahmad Moosa, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • She wouldn’t move in the womb—then came the rare diagnosis that changed everything

      Amber Robertson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • She wouldn’t move in the womb—then came the rare diagnosis that changed everything

      Amber Robertson | Conditions
    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From basketball to bedside: Finding connection through March Madness

      Caitlin J. McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • In medicine and law, professions that society relies upon for accuracy

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Tech
    • Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
    • How motherhood reshaped my identity as a scientist and teacher

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The broken health care system doesn’t have to break you

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden cost of delaying back surgery

      Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD | Conditions
    • She wouldn’t move in the womb—then came the rare diagnosis that changed everything

      Amber Robertson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • Residency as rehearsal: the new pediatric hospitalist fellowship requirement scam

      Anonymous | Physician
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • The hidden bias in how we treat chronic pain

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • She wouldn’t move in the womb—then came the rare diagnosis that changed everything

      Amber Robertson | Conditions
    • Rethinking medical education for a technology-driven era in health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From basketball to bedside: Finding connection through March Madness

      Caitlin J. McCarthy, MD | Physician
    • In medicine and law, professions that society relies upon for accuracy

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Tech
    • Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

      Marc Arginteanu, MD | Conditions
    • How motherhood reshaped my identity as a scientist and teacher

      Kathleen Muldoon, PhD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...