Doctor NOS

Dr. Sarah Nielson is a medical manager for a pharmaceutical company. A former junior doctor, she ventured to “the dark side” almost two years ago. She is passionate about mental health for doctors and a step-mother of one, and mother to two feline overlords.

In this episode, we discuss her journey into and out of clinical medicine - the things that drew her to it, and those that drew her out. We discuss imposter syndrome and mental health, and talk about what to look for when finding a new job outside of medicine. We discuss her day-to-day routines as a medical manager of a large pharmaceutical company, and her highs and lows. 

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Ruth Mitchell is a Sydney-based neurosurgeon, currently working in Sydney Children’s Hospitals network. She has a keen interest in paediatric neurosurgery, brain tumour biology, and injury research. She received the 2019 John Corboy Medal from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons for her advocacy for diversity and inclusion in surgery.  Furthermore, as a passionate advocate for social justice since her childhood, Dr Mitchell has also been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). 

In this episode, we discuss her work in ICAN and earning the Nobel Peace Prize, juggling when to lean into neurosurgery vs ICAN, the highlights/lowlights of paediatric neurosurgery, diversity & inclusion in surgery, and her experience of gender bias and structural violence in surgery. 

ICAN: https://www.icanw.org/
Books mentioned: 
Another Day In the Colony - Chelsea Watego https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21848997.Chelsea_Watego 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59118034-another-day-in-the-colony
White Tears, Brown Scars - Ruby Hamad 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53260224-white-tears-brown-scars
Not Just Lucky - Jamila Rizvi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35019393-not-just-lucky
Ruth Mitchell Twitter: https://twitter.com/drruthmitchell

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield is a public health physician and leader, having been the chief advisor of public health in Ministry of Health New Zealand, before moving to become the Director of Services of Population Health across the Wellington District Health Boards, then Chief Executive at Hutt Valley DHB. He is best known as our immediate former Director-General of Health, famed for his COVID response and compassion in his communication.

In this episode, we discuss his journey into public health and the various leadership roles he has held before his position as Director General. We discuss his gap year, his time locuming in the UK, before finally returning to NZ for training. He unpacks his lessons leading before and during the pandemic, challenges of being Director General, and what work-life balance and resilience means to him. 

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Imran Lasker is a consultant radiologist with a specialist interest in musculoskeletal radiology based in the UK. He co-hosts the Two Medics Podcast. He’s a big believer of choosing real life over work life and dabbles in social media from time to time.  

In this episode, we discuss his journey starting the Two Medics Podcast with his co-host, and navigating social media and potential career retribution as a consequence. We talk about radiology, his background and why he chose this specialty and subspecialty of musculoskeletal radiology. He unpacks the common narrative of 'medical vocations' and how this is a trap for preventing pay restoration, and the financial privilege behind it. We discuss the FIRE community and his tips on finding a career that suits you. 

NB: I was recovering from COVID in this episode and may intermittently sound a little hoarse. Apologies for any hiccups in the listener experience - my hope is that it does not detract from Imran's journey! 

Mentioned in this episode:
Ronny Chieng's bit on Asian stereotypes for being doctors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGMYP9Lgf94&ab_channel=NetflixIsAJoke
Mr. Money Mustache and the FIRE community: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/
The Psychology of Money: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41881472-the-psychology-of-money 
So Good They Can't Ignore You: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13525945-so-good-they-can-t-ignore-you

Social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DocLasker
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ImranLasker
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doclasker
Two Medics Podcast: https://www.twomedics.com/

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Kathryn Hagen is a specialist anaesthetist in Auckland City Hospital looking after the adult population. She is the immediate past president of the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists and took on the deputy service clinical director role in 2020. She is passionate about encouraging people to consider how they can be part of finding solutions and solving problems. 

In this episode, we discuss her journey into anaesthetics, receiving critical feedback and how to respond to it, delivering feedback to others and unpack private practice - how it works, why it works, the pay difference, motivations, and its associated work-life balance. 

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Carl Horsley is an Intensive Care specialist at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, having previously completed training in Emergency Medicine. He also is the Clinical Lead for System Safety at the Health Quality & Safety Commission, with a focus on understanding the way in which the wider healthcare system shapes the conditions in which care is provided.

He has recently completed an MSc in Human Factors and System Safety at Lund University, Sweden and is part of the Resilient Healthcare Society, an international collaboration of researchers, clinicians and safety scientists. His current focus is on how to bring together Te Ao Māori and modern safety science to create a system that supports good care at all levels.

In this episode, we discuss his shift from training in emergency medicine to intensive care, his work in human factors and system safety and what the practical implementation of this looks like, creating psychologically safe workplaces, the three phases experienced by doctors when causing harm/adverse events, and advice for prospective ICU applicants. 

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

This episode is timed to release as the new year is soon to begin and many of our colleagues are stepping away to start their locuming journey. We hope that this can begin to answer some of the questions about locuming and provide some clarity and reassurance. 

Originally hailing from Malaysia, Dr. Lilian Tnew moved to New Zealand aged 18 to pursue a medical degree at Otago Medical School. While training in rural medicine, she has spanned experience as a medical registrar and anaesthetic registrar. She has enjoyed locuming for two years around New Zealand, from as far south as Invercargill to as far north as Whangārei. She joins us today to discuss the pearls and pitfalls of being a locum doctor. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Reasons for locuming
• Ideal timing in your career to locum
• Picking an agency
• Agencies vs casual employment 
• Bad experiences
• Finding jobs 
• Travel and accommodation arrangements 
• Indemnity insurance
• Finances - accountants, Xero, Hnry, taxes, GST, tax-deductible expenses, superannuation & Kiwisaver 
• InPractice/MCNZ/BPAC
• Leaving anaesthetics training for rural medicine 

It was a conscious decision to not mention any specific locum agencies to keep this episode as neutral as possible. For this reason, even though we are both registered with locum agencies, I have not linked any referral codes or affiliate links. Referral links will provide both you and the referrer a referral bonus of anywhere between $500 to $2000 - if you would like a referral link, please feel free to contact me or the speaker directly.

The primary agencies in New Zealand, as far as we are aware, include: STAT Recruitment, MedRecruit, Global Medics, Triple0 and Ochre. This episode is not sponsored by any of the agencies above and not affiliated.

Similarly,  the primary accounting platforms mentioned are Xero and Hnry. Since publishing this episode, I have signed onto Hnry in an effort to become slightly more independent and savvy!
If you would like a referral bonus of $25 for Hnry: https://app.hnry.io/r/MAPLE88085

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Lupe Taumoepeau is a Vascular and Transplant surgeon at Wellington Hospital and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago. She is the first New Zealand female vascular surgeon and only Pacific Island vascular surgeon in Australasia. She received her fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2014 after completing training throughout New Zealand and Queensland, Australia. Lupe is actively involved in mentoring Pacific Island students and female junior doctors considering a career in surgery, and has a strong interest in prevocational medical education. Outside of medicine, Lupe enjoys cheering for her son on the side of the soccer field and basketball court, exploring the outdoors with her family and dog and is looking forward to getting back to Tonga once the borders have re-opened.

In this episode, we discuss her journey from her roots in Tonga to transplant and vascular surgery in Wellington. We delve into the importance of mentorship in her life, the legacy she carries from her grandfather, and the cultural values she carries with her in her practice. Finally, we discuss her work in vascular and transplant surgery, and what it feels like to be the first, and only, Pacific Island vascular surgeon. 

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Tamsin Lillie is an urgent care doctor working in Rotorua New Zealand with an interest in global health. She has been involved with Medic to Medic since 2009 having set up and run the Norwich medical school student branch.  She has completed a Masters in International Health and the East African Diploma of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  In 2018, she worked in Zambia as a family doctor and saw first hand the challenges faced by rural health workers in Africa. 

In this episode, we discuss her journey into urgent care from UK to NZ, and her inspiration for working with NGOs and Medic to Medic. We discuss the work done by Medic to Medic, their selection process, where the funds are placed, how they plan for sustainability in the charity, and what opportunities are in store for any potential volunteers.

You can find Medic to Medic and their work here:
Medic to Medic: https://www.medictomedic.org.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedictoMedic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/medictomedic

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

Dr. Marta Seretny is currently a research fellow in anaesthesia and perioperative medicine working at Auckland City Hospital and an honorary lecturer at the University of Auckland department of Anaesthesiology. She completed much of her postgraduate clinical training in Edinburgh, Scotland and her final years of training in Auckland New Zealand. Her PhD, awarded by the university of Edinburgh, investigated chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) using fMRI of the brain. She is interested in optimising the perioperative pathways of cancer patients in order to improve patient centred outcomes.

In this episode, we discuss her journey as a Polish child refugee, seeking asylum in Italy and eventually resettling through sponsorship in Australia. We talk about the challenges in raising multilingual children, and the difficulties with third culturalism in moving between different countries. Marta shares how she found her way into anaesthetics, and breaking the stereotypes of academia.

You can find her on these links:
https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/mser366
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=PGKVfBlINKw

NB: This episode was recorded in 2021.

Support the show

As always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

Audio credit:
Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud
Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y