We were unable to have any exciting adventures this past weekend. I was on call the entire weekend for the medical clinic which meant that we had to stick around town so I could be available for any emergencies. So instead of Rebecca writing this week I thought I would give her a break and write about what the medical practice is like here in New Zealand. (Hopefully I don't bore you too much!)
Work here has been great. I am working at a small rural clinic with three other doctors. Because we are the only clinic in town and the hospital is about 1/2 hour away we see all sorts of cases. Clinic starts at 9 AM, just like everything else here. It's been nice that we usually don't have a rush to get ready and go like we do in Bakersfield. Our home is less than a 10 minute walk to the clinic so that is what I usually do every day. If it rains, I just use an umbrella. It's nice to walk home and be greated in such a way as this:
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| Being greated by my boys. |
While there are some similarities in New Zealand medicine, there are a lot of differences both for the doctor and patients. I thought it would be fun to write about what a typical doctors appointment is like for someone here in New Zealand.
Like anywhere, if you had a problem you would need to call and set up an appointment to see your doctor. Unfortunately, like in the US, you would probably have to wait 30-45 minutes after your appointment time until you were actually seen. I guess some things are the same worldwide! Once it was your turn, I (your doctor) would call you into my office. Not an exam room, but my office (or as it is called, Surgery Room, although I don't actually perform any surgery here). There are no medical assistants to take your vital signs or review your medications. If I think that it is relevant to your visit, I will perform these things myself.
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| Won't you come in? |
In each office there is one exam table. If I want to exam you, I typically will not leave the room to give you an opportunity to change. I would simply draw a curtain and allow you to change behind it while I typed at my desk. After my exam, the curtain would be drawn again and you could change back to your clothes. How is that for privacy?
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| This is where it all happens. |
After your consultation is done, I would send you to the front desk to check out and pay and call the next patient into my office. Although New Zealand has socialized medicine, patients still pay a fee for service they receive. Each appointment visit is between $40-50 that has to be paid in full before leaving the clinic. I performed an ingrown toenail repair today and I think the patient was charged $200. (No $5 copay here!) The government subsidizes the rest of the cost of the visit, between $30-40.
If I were to give you a prescription however, it only costs $3, no matter what the medication, for a 90 day supply. The government subsidizes the rest. This is a great benefit. However, if I were to refer you to a specialist for a nonemergent problem, it would take about 4-6 months to get that appointment.
Overall I have really enjoyed being a doctor here in New Zealand. The Kiwi's (New Zealand residents) are usually very grateful for the care they receive. Because of my love for the people here in New Zealand, one of my goals was to help serve them medically. So far, I feel like I have been able to accomplish it thus far. It has been a great experience for me.
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| Outside the clinic. |
