As regular party goers know, MedRecruit is the proud sponsor of the end of run events! We thought it was about time to add value to you on the Scrubs Blog.

Entitlement. To whom does it belong? The NZ junior doctors? The medical system? Depending on which ‘side’ you sit on, it belongs to everyone. Junior doctors are entitled to better work conditions, and the system thinks it’s entitled to some loyalty by way of payback with years of service.  The one aspect that’s missing is the humanity so I thought I could share with you some personal feedback we had recently. Sometimes there is merit in getting down to the micro!

We recently decided to stop and check in on the ‘big picture’ with some of our doctors, so we picked up the phone and did some detailed Q & A. We wanted to know why they were locuming, how they had been treated by other doctors when they went locuming, and what difference it was making to their lives (and naturally what they thought of us, the good, the bad and the ugly!). 

Doctors primarily went locuming for the money and the lifestyle – no surprise there. But what they did talk about was a keenness to choose when to have time off, getting away from the crazy hours, paying off student loans so they could start creating wealth or start a family, and for some, it was much more profound. Some doctors were actually thinking of leaving medicine, and went locuming to clear their heads. None of them did make the final decision to leave, instead they have found what speciality they enjoy, worked out a bit about who they are (cliché but true!), and have stuck with medicine. Most doctors were respected for their decision to locum, and some reported that they had noticed a change in senior doctors attitudes to locuming. In fact, senior doctors were starting to feel that they had paid their dues and were now entitled to take their families and live it up a bit.

In any relationship parties have to listen.  If the team here at MedRecruit didn’t listen we wouldn’t exist! But similarly, this stand-off needs some good old fashioned counselling technique. Too often lacking is the ability to listen. A good platform for solution finding is what’s called ‘active listening’. The analogy is, each party has an island and a row boat. When it’s your turn to talk, the other guy gets in his boat, rows over to your island, and listens about what it’s like on your island. The key thing is, they have left their island temporarily and become totally focused on learning on what it’s like on your island. When someone truly listens to your point of view, you feel it, you know it. We only persist and badger when we don’t get heard, and if there is no solution forthcoming.

We’re really keen to keep supporting Scrubs and junior doctors in NZ.  We’ve got some great ideas for next year too so watch this space! Any crazy or sane ideas you have, let us know, we’re pretty open to doing things differently at MedRecruit! To get in touch visit locum doctor agency MedRecruit, Australasia's premiere agency for junior doctors creating a lifestyle and career in medicine.

Dedicated to your success,

Dr Sam Hazledine

Managing Director