Overseas-trained doctors registered

31 October 2002

News Release
Medical Council of New Zealand

Overseas-trained doctors registered

The Medical Council releases bi-monthly statistics on the numbers of overseas-trained doctors being registered to practise in New Zealand. The fifth report covers August and September 2002.

The reports illustrate the multinational nature of New Zealand’s medical workforce and the influx of new doctors to New Zealand from overseas.

Overseas-trained doctors coming to New Zealand are registered at weekly, monthly and bi-monthly meetings throughout the year.

Statistics August – September 2002

The Council registered 256 doctors from 14 overseas countries during the period. This compares to 254 doctors from 33 countries registered in the previous two months (ie. June and July 2002). The number of temporary doctors rose to 210 in August/September compared to 132 in June/July.
Countries of primary qualification are shown below.

Forty six permanent doctors (general and probationary registration)

United Kingdom 18 Bangladesh 3
South Africa 9 India 5
Sri Lanka 2 Australia 1

Plus one each from: Canada, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Pakistan, Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

Two hundred and ten temporary doctors

United Kingdom 150 South Africa 17
USA 14 Australia 4
India 4 Ireland 4
Argentina 2 Canada 5

Plus one each from: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Jordan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sweden,

Graduate of Argentina – see next page
MORE…

Profile – Dr Galia Paganelli

Argentinian-born Dr Galia Paganelli is a medical registrar at Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth. She is one of two Argentinian doctors, who have been granted temporary registration during the past two months, in order to practise medicine in New Zealand.

Dr Paganelli came to New Zealand just over a month ago on an initial 15-month contract. She gained her medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, in Argentina. Following this Dr Paganelli took the USMLE levels 1 and 2, the Clinical Skills Assessment exam and then USMLE level 3.

In total her training was seven years in length, followed by a further four years post-graduate residency training in Argentina, with time spent working rotations in different hospitals. The rotations included working in a cardiology department for three months, three months at the Italian Hospital in Buenos Aires, a further three months in Mount Sinai hospital in New York and then in an infectious diseases unit.

Dr Paganelli’s specialty of internal medicine covers not only general medicine and cardiology but health matters relating to diabetes, oncology and other medical problems.

She has initially come to New Zealand alone, leaving family and friends behind in South America. Her partner, also a doctor, is currently seeking temporary registration in order to join her in New Zealand.

Dr Paganelli is enjoying working at Taranaki Base Hospital. She says she prefers smaller, provincial areas to cities, as she was brought up in the countryside. She adds that her colleagues, as well as New Zealanders in general, are very helpful and honest. She sees this as part of the New Zealand culture – of course this is good news for someone coming from abroad!

She said: “I feel very good here. Around 70% of my patients have cardiac problems. I have seen this type of clinical problem in Argentina too, so I have experience of that. The main difference is that in South America, there are some diseases like tuberculosis, which are not so common here. Aside from that, the medical problems are the same. My work colleagues have been very supportive in helping me to settle in. The human factor is very important, it is very valuable to work surrounded by enthusiasm and I am building good relationships here.”

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