Doctor Shortage Solution

1. Make medical school free as long as you meet entry requirements and maintain say a B average
2. Tie all medical students to stay in NZ for 5 years after completion of degree.

you couldn't get away with (b) because it is a breach of the right to freedom of movement.. it's a civil rights issue.

now I already know what you are gonna say next

If part of attending medical school involved signing a contract, it'd be fine.

You could get around that by stipulating that IF you want free education, you have to stay in NZ for 5 years.

If you CHOOSE to leave in those 5 years, you will be billed your university fees.

Is this the reply you were expecting from Vadz?

If we can afford to make Medical School free surly we can afford to give them a pay rise?

that's right, if it was contractual. bit like a restraint of trade clause.

still, many would see that as an oppressive sort of contract. don't you think it might take the shine off studying medicine?

you're such a clever lad

As many loopholes that would undoubtedly be available in this I think the general idea is not bad at all.

It's simple and solves a specific problem we have, and one which is only going to get worse.

(we can't keep selling the country on: "oh but the lifestyle and big parks etc.." It's plainly obvious this doesn't work anymore)

R

considering we live in a global economy we should at least endeavour to pay the going international rate for our physicians





you could have a "bonding" clause as part of the agreement, this is what I had at the Bank
they paid for all my fees and textbooks for the papers I studied and in return I had to stay on for at least 12 months after I had finished that particular paper otherwise I had to repay the fees




another way you could do it is you make the 5 years a part of the requirements to complete the degree and you are not registered as a medical expert until you have had sufficient field training

We shouldn't be matching salary because medicine is not something people do for the money. Well, it shouldn't be.

apply that to lawyers too eh vadz?

we are short of qualified people in many areas - should this free/indentureship scheme apply to all professions?

perhaps we simply need to address our notion of student fees... free education for ALL New Zealanders would be a good place to start

of course this won't address the fact people get paid better in other developed countries and as such people here will take advantage of this fact... travel and more dosh - nothing can compete with that

Not sure I disagree but are you ready for the massive increase in health spending that entails and the subsequent tax take?


Bonding ain't such a bad idea - i.e. we pay for it, you give us 5 years work; you want to leave earlier, you proportionally pay it back. That's used quite regularly in private employment (MBA etc). Of course it may just mean we have a whole bunch of doctors with 1-5 years experience and the level above that disappears offshore...

except lawyers!