I love my current job but looking through papers for job applications in my field, the big thing they all want is
1. Experience
2. Credentials
Having only been in the workforce for the last 4 years, i'm not exactly big on experience. Credentials in my field always means: have you had post graduate training? The process in this country involves service registry (one year or more) before you can apply to do anything so thanks for asking if i'm a specialist but please stop. Graduating from medical school does not automatically mean you can now specialise. It means on average 2 years of service registry and then a four year masters program (if you are successful with your applications and the bosses agree). Hence, when you graduate with a masters degree, you would have had 5 years at medical school, 2 years residency (internship), average 2 - 3 years service registry (once you have found a position to do service registry) and then four years masters. In total, 14 - 15 years after starting uni.
Not that your doing nothing, the whole time you will be working and doing calls at night. Depending on the size of the hospital, in some places you may be oncall 2 nights in a row, alternate nights, etc. Sometimes you may find that you have to turn to private services for employment and then have to treck the long road back to public service as it's the only way to get training in PNG.
When I was in medical school, I had the perfect path planned out (in fact, everyone did)- finish medical school, 2 years residency, 2 years service registry and apply for masters training and be a consultant by my early 30's. Woe to those who stray to private practice, the land of greed, fast cars and a no care attitude. Funny how life, as the americans say, 'throws a curveball at you'. Two years into private practice (after residency) and I can say, its not so bad. I still practice medicine and my blood pressure and stress levels are well controlled plus I still give the same level of care as I did in public service. Granted there are horror stories about private practice and people having to pay large sums of money on the spot before recieving emergency medical attention (this is why it amuses me to see people whinge at paying K2 or roughly 66 US cents for a public accident and emergency fee to be seen).
I wonder if I apply for a public position, whether the selection committee will see my meagre credentials and private practice experience as weighing heavily against being selected for a service registry position, the first step to a specialty. But hey, if you dont jump in and find out, you will never know, so wish me well. In the meantime, I am stopping to smell the roses along the way.
