Sam Herring, MD, completed his emergency medicine residency and joined VISTA for a six-month assignment in New Zealand. He tried his hand at surfing, rented a sailboat, made many good friends, toured the islands by motorcycle, and captured his observations about working there in this “primer.” Overall, he says, “I wouldn’t trade my experience working in NZ for anything.”
Sam Herring, MD
Blog Posts
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Monday, June 2, 2008
Note: This is Part 2 of Dr. Herring’s observations during a recent international assignment. Part 1 explained medical training and a doctor’s progression through the medical ranks.
About the practice of medicine
In general – No malpractice, sort of. If a complaint comes up, a government-appointed board decides whether to pay the patient/family some money for damages based on the merits of the case, and may take disciplinary action against the MD if indicated. This is
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Medical Training – Based on the UK system for obvious reasons.
- Medical Student – Medical school is an undergrad program – you are accepted either from high school or after one year of undergraduate scientific studies. It takes six years to finish medical school.
- House Officer – Equivalent to Intern, but at least two years. Also known as House Surgeon regardless of affiliation with any actual surgical practice. Their work is supervised by Registrars.