1 year and 4 months since I actively participated in this blog.I am returning back officially today.And I realise,I am a changed person who used to write and express oneself freely not long back.There is a lot of apprehension,thoughts,what to reveal and how much to reveal.You will find a change in the tone of posts I write.Only time will tell whether I have changed for good or have become one of the so many fake people around,who don't have the courage to express the truth as truth is not always pleasant.It is not always diplomatic.And I do remember it is a social media where I am being read by so many ......some known,some unknown and some who are just trying to Judge me by reading my posts.
When writing a post there has to be a meaning to why am I writing and as of now I just feel that I am back as, I wish to share my experiences of down under with my fellow doctors as well as patients to help them if they too wish to have an Australian experience which hasn't been bad overall.I will start month wise since May 2014 and very soon we will be in Nov 2015.
Last but one day of October and here I am sitting in a nice suburb of Sydney writing this Post.Had I thought in May 2014? No not really.Neither was it an agenda.To give a background,way back in 2007 when I was planning to leave UK I had applied for the post of registrar in Australia with few recruitment agencies.I also appeared for a telephonic interview while still in UK and never heard back.That interview didn't involve any academic question but just the reason for my movement from UK to Australia .In 2010,I was contacted by one of the recruiters for placement in Australia.I was doing too well by that time in India in a span of 3 years and told clearly that only as a consultant.He agreed and then started enormous amount of paper work which I did quarter heartdly :) Time constrains as well as I was quite comfortable in what I was doing.
For those doctors who wish to have a taste of Australian Health care system,it is a lengthy process .Please visit the website of your respective college,look for the requirements of being assessed as a specialist at par with your Australian counterparts and do the necessary paperwork as directed.For me,my PLAB,British experience and degree came handy and after an hour and a half long interview I was assessed to be comparable to my Australian counterparts subject to successful completion of 12 months oversight working as consultant in Australia.That was in feb 2013.And eventually my placement agent got me a consultant job too ,as promised.But it wasn't an easy decision to leave the Indian practice which by May 2014 was thriving and too busy.I hardly had time to eat,sleep or even relax and that was perhaps one of the reasons I left too.I don't think ,I can be busier than I was then.
To cut the long story short 2nd of June 2014 was the last day by when I was supposed to report to my job with an AHPRA registration and mid may I still hadn't got my working Visa.It was all a part of the long drown paper work.I was still not sure if I wished to leave my private practice neither was I sure that I wished to uproot myself once again.At the same time it was perhaps professional 7 year itch which was forcing me to start a new relation.To explore the world,to see what I missed if I left this job.Even to say that what you missed wasn't worth it,you need to try it first,otherwise it becomes a case of sour grapes.And I did leave my well set practice to taste the deep waters of down under.To keep myself motivated I showed myself the carrot of FRANZCOG ( Australian Fellowship) at the end of 12 months.One more Degree to my kitty.I felt sorry to leave my patients behind ,but I knew they will find a replacement.No one is indispensable and neither am I(It is a different story that after I left I found ,that there were true lovers amongst these women for whom my moving was an emotional shock.I still am sorry for how I made you feel then but at the same time I would shamelessly admit I don't really regret my selfishness ;-) We all are selfish.My selfishness BTW wasn't monetary.....it was more exploratory.
Quite a long Post and I think we will start next post from June 2014.
