Advance to specialist Emergency Medicine practice through hands-on trauma and mentorship

Emergency Medicine Post-Foundation Doctor Opportunity

Head Medical is seeking enthusiastic post-foundation doctors to join the Emergency Department at Palmerston North Hospital.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop your Emergency Medicine skills within a busy regional department, seeing a broad mix of adult and paediatric presentations and gaining exposure to trauma and high-acuity cases. Alongside the clinical experience, you'll benefit from a supportive environment with structured teaching, consultant supervision, and opportunities to develop your skills across a wide range of emergency presentations.

Key features of the role include:

  • Busy regional Emergency Department - around 48,000 adult and paediatric presentations each year, with approximately 30% resulting in admission.
  • Broad clinical exposure - manage a wide range of adult and paediatric emergency presentations, including significant trauma and high-acuity cases.
  • Strong teaching and support - benefit from a structured, consultant-led teaching programme, including paediatric emergency medicine teaching and simulation-based learning.
  • Develop your Emergency Medicine skills - gain experience in a large regional service with access to ICU, anaesthetics, paediatrics, general medicine, cardiology, radiology and surgical services.
  • Supportive career development - the department provides mentoring and opportunities for clinical research and involvement in departmental projects.
  • 12-month fixed-term contract (December 26/ Jan 27 commencement)
  • Salary: NZD $105,672 – $140,082, depending on experience.

The Role

Palmerston North Hospital's Emergency Department is a busy regional service providing care for approximately 48,000 adult and paediatric presentations each year. The department sees a broad range of emergency presentations, with a significant trauma workload and regular exposure to high-acuity adult and paediatric patients. Palmerston North is also a regional trauma centre, providing an excellent environment for doctors looking to broaden their Emergency Medicine experience. You'll work alongside an experienced team of Emergency Physicians, with support from a range of specialist services including Intensive Care, Anaesthetics, Paediatrics, General Medicine, Cardiology, Surgery and Radiology.

For doctors looking to develop their clinical skills, the department offers protected weekly teaching, including simulation-based education and dedicated paediatric emergency medicine teaching. There is also an embedded mentoring programme and opportunities to become involved in clinical research and departmental projects.

The hospital has 354 beds and provides a wide range of secondary and regional specialist services to the MidCentral population. Its critical care service includes a 7-bed ICU and HDU, providing support for patients with severe medical illness and major trauma.

The Location

Located in the heart of New Zealand's North Island, Palmerston North is a vibrant university city with a population of around 80,000. It offers the convenience of city living without the long commutes, with excellent cafés, restaurants, shopping, and cultural activities alongside easy access to the outdoors. The Manawatū is particularly well suited to those who enjoy an active lifestyle, with hiking, cycling, kayaking, and skiing all within easy reach. Wellington is around two hours away, while the Hawke's Bay wine region and West Coast beaches are ideal for weekend trips. For those looking for a quieter lifestyle, the nearby town of Feilding offers a strong community feel and easy access to Palmerston North.

Find out more about the region here

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