Australia - Post graduation

[Bullettime]

Have any Int'l students been successful in staying on for a year beyond graduation in Australia? Did you/they apply for PR? If not, was your visa extended by means of a work visa that was got through an offer letter from an employer?
What are average starting salaries for a new vet grad in Aus?

Thanks!

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[birdvet2006]

Have any Int'l students been successful in staying on for a year beyond graduation in Australia? Did you/they apply for PR? If not, was your visa extended by means of a work visa that was got through an offer letter from an employer?
What are average starting salaries for a new vet grad in Aus?

Thanks!

I believe this has been asked before - do a search. Basically, I don't know why you would stay in Australia other than if you hadn't passed the NAVLE or something like that. The salaries are so poor! Something like $30k US per year, if that.

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

Birdvet,

You graduated from Glasgow - would you have ever considered staying in the UK? I am going to school here at UF CVM, but my husband is English and we would both love to move to England some day. That day is far far in the future, but just wondering. Are salaries for vets poor in the UK as well?

I don't even know what i'd have to do to get licensed to work in the UK coming from the US. I tried to vaguely look into this, it seemed i'd have to register with the RCVS?? Maybe i'm totally off. Sorry to the OP, not trying to hijack your thread i promise!

 

[birdvet2006]

Birdvet,

You graduated from Glasgow - would you have ever considered staying in the UK? ... Are salaries for vets poor in the UK as well?

I don't even know what i'd have to do to get licensed to work in the UK coming from the US. I tried to vaguely look into this, it seemed i'd have to register with the RCVS??

No, I didn't want to stay in the UK. Salaries are one reason (compared to my debt). They do pay poorly, even when converted to US$. Quality/standards of practice is another reason. I truly couldn't live with myself if I had to practice where they don't wear gloves for surgery. I know, I know - animals survive etc., but I am from California and am used to a much higher quality/standard of practice.

So I'm sticking with VCA. So far I like what I see.

I do LOVE Scotland though. If I could make enough money to survive AND practice high quality medicine, I'd live there in a heartbeat (especially in the highlands!).

It's no big deal to become MRCVS (Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) from the USA. You just have to pay a visit to London and be sworn in (ceremonies available certain times per year). No exam because they accept AVMA accredited schools as equivalent quality. Now getting a visa may be another thing entirely - perhaps it will be easier for you because of your husband's citizenship. I don't know.

 

[Hollycozza]

If you didn't have massive debt you could of course choose to stay for our fabulous life style!

Wonderful climate and very high up in the United Nations Human Development index!


but yes... woeful salaries for vets....

(also to answe the question: average starting salary = US$29600)

 

[ReinaDeLuz]

No, I didn't want to stay in the UK. Salaries are one reason (compared to my debt). They do pay poorly, even when converted to US$. Quality/standards of practice is another reason. I truly couldn't live with myself if I had to practice where they don't wear gloves for surgery. I know, I know - animals survive etc., but I am from California and am used to a much higher quality/standard of practice.

So I'm sticking with VCA. So far I like what I see.

I do LOVE Scotland though. If I could make enough money to survive AND practice high quality medicine, I'd live there in a heartbeat (especially in the highlands!).

It's no big deal to become MRCVS (Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) from the USA. You just have to pay a visit to London and be sworn in (ceremonies available certain times per year). No exam because they accept AVMA accredited schools as equivalent quality. Now getting a visa may be another thing entirely - perhaps it will be easier for you because of your husband's citizenship. I don't know.

no gloves for surgery?? i just boggled and went *whaaaa??* that sounds nuts to me! i'd never heard of such a thing :-/ i was considering trying to do an externship in the UK eventually, to see what its like "behind the scenes" as i've been to a vet practice in yorkshire with my husband's family, and it seemed very similar to what we have here - but of course i was only on the client side of things that time. was it just in Scotland that such things were common? Were there any other weird practices that you feel comfortable sharing? all i have to say is yikes!

 

[stinyexoticvet]

Here is the question I am beginning to ask myself on a daily basis. Do I want to stay here after I graduate from Murdoch?? Well here is what I have come up with. First, it is not impossible to get a working Visa as a vet if you have graduated from an Australian university...I have been told people have done it and I have talked to Migration officers for poops and giggles and they have said should be no problem. Salaries are poor, but not near as poor as people are making out if you look at http://www.kookaburravets.comhttp://www.kookaburravets.com

This is what I see:

-A salary package would be offered at above award rates plus payments to cover on-call and after-hours work. We offer a 4 or 4 ½ day working week with a shared weekend roster plus four weeks annual leave and one week study leave with course fees and airfares paid. The position is available in April/ May.

-A generous above award package is available for the successful applicant. The position involves a 4½ day week, equally shared workload and after-hours with 3-5 other equine vets (seasonal variation) and 4 weeks annual leave and 1 week study leave.

MY DREAM JOB!!! BUT NOT FOR NEW GRADS
An exciting opportunity to practice high-level veterinary emergency medicine and critical care in a purpose-built facility - in Western Australia!

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY VETERINARY TEACHING HOSPITAL
IS LOOKING TO APPOINT EXPERIENCED VETERINARIANS AS

SHIFT LEADERS in ICU

* Starting salary package from $91,500
* Full-time appointments for up to three years
* Opportunity to salary package
* University environment
* Western Australian lifestyle
* Study leave available


Established seven years ago, Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre (MPEC) has developed rapidly to become the leading centre in Western Australia for the provision of veterinary emergency medicine and critical care services and associated post-graduate training. MPEC is part of the ASAVA and AVMA-accredited Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

MPEC staff enjoy a purpose–built facility, fully equipped to care for 25 ICU patients. The service operates 24 hours a day throughout the year, handling referrals from around 60 private veterinary clinics, internal referrals from our specialist departments and client walk-ins.

High-level Surgery, Medicine, Diagnostic Imaging and Anaesthesia support is provided by specialist academic veterinarians and other hospital clinicians.

The MPEC veterinary team consists of an Academic leader, Shift Leaders, Consulting Veterinarians and two part-time Registrars. The service is supported by a Supervisor of MPEC/ICU services, qualified veterinary nurses and receptionists as well as animal welfare workers.

We are now looking for another energetic and confident individual to take on a leadership role in ICU. The successful applicant will possess a veterinary degree registrable in Western Australia with demonstrated postgraduate experience and competency in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care or a related clinical discipline. The ability to work evening, overnight, weekend and public holiday shifts is a must.

This role requires excellent clinical ability and organisational flair - in return you will be rewarded with the opportunity to practise and develop your skills in a state-of-the-art facility and an environment which values teaching and learning.

This could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

-2 days per week
5 weeks annual leave (Pro rata) for Permanent part time
Flexible working hours
REMUNERATION: Permanent Part Time $55,000 - $70,000 pro rata
or
Casual $40/ hour on weekdays and $45/ hour on weekends.

-4 days per week
No after hours
5 weeks annual leave
REMUNERATION: $60,000 - $75,000 +

-A part-time small animal veterinarian required to work in busy, well equipped, modern and purpose built veterinary clinic in Kelmscott WA which is situated 25 minutes from the Perth CBD.

We require the services of a highly motivated, preferably experienced veterinarian (new grads welcome to apply) who values the delivery of high quality veterinary services to both patient and client, 2-3 days per week.

The practice is well equipped including vetscan in house lab, auto processor, isoflourane and is fully computerised. Excellent support staff.

The position is sole charge with the support and back up of other vets from group practice and nearby practice principal. No after hours work. Above award remuneration with view to profit share for right person.

Now these are just in WA, I have not looked at the East Coast. I could actually see myself working in some of these situations. Yes my loans are going to be ridiculous, but even if I rented a shack here I would still be near a beach I would still have glorious climate and a culture that really does not believe in after hours....does believe in maternity leave, and the government pays for most of your kids school.

So I could go back and struggle in the states and be no where near a beach, and figure I will never ever ever send my kids to college (I have no kids, just me thinking of the future thanks to a recent conversation with mom)...and the climate is crappy...or break the cycle ( which mom is very against by the way)!!! Of course, anyone thinking of staying can always marry an Australian if that works out. You see, because the government pays for their education, and they go into professional school right out of highschool...many people, male and female as young as 25 already have their own houses...some have bought two...some even have them paid off...especially those miners who make six figures at age 19 lol. Not near as many are struggling as my friends back in the states...no wonder they are more laid back here

I am saying this because I was blown away when I started dating here and these guys already have their own houses. I have a current steady boyfriend now who owns his own house and just sold his other block of land...I mentioned my debt and he has not ran for the hills yet...so a good sign.

Woah rambling....stayed up too late studying, but as you can see...staying is on my mind, and I want to get the working visa on my own to stay here...not marry an Aussie to stay here, but if that happens in the mean time....who knows

Did that make any sense or was it a bunch of gibberish???

 

[birdvet2006]

was it just in Scotland that such things were common? Were there any other weird practices that you feel comfortable sharing? all i have to say is yikes!

Nope, it was both Scotland and England. I did extramural studies in both places. I also saw some horrendous small animal medicine in the very very rural locations. Like they mostly did bovine medicine but they would also do small animals - but had no equipment for labwork of any kind (besides maybe a blood smear). But you know - maybe it's just horrendous to me because I'm used to being spoiled and having everything you could ever want.

The "no gloves for surgery" thing seems to be traditional. The older vets normally don't wear gloves, so the newer vets feel funny if they want to (and probably while seeing practice they saw few people wearing gloves) - and it's a chain reaction. The referral practices generally are better and DO wear gloves (I'd been to only one referral practice, and 2 vet schools), but these are a small minority of practices in the UK. One practice I saw in Scotland - some people wore gloves, others did not. It was left to the individual doctor to decide.

Also, they typically didn't wear scrubs or caps/gowns/masks. Often they would put on a plastic non-sterile apron (like food workers wear) for surgery. So their clothes wouldn't get dirty?

A couple places I went were old-school. They used antibiotics and steroids a lot and didn't do much diagnostics. But doctors who do these things still exist in the USA. Some people still think that steroids should be used regularly for shock and head trauma...

 

[birdvet2006]

Oh, another thing - in the UK, a lot of the jobs are mixed-practice. Also, a lot of the jobs require a "rota" where you are in a rota of "1 to 5" or something like that. That means you are on call part of the time. If there are 5 people on the on-call rotation, you get to be on-call 1/5 of the time. This is because there are not many emergency clinics in the UK. The vets must see their own emergencies, and they must because the RCVS says this is a requirement of veterinarians (to tend to ANY animal in an emergency situation).

The mixed and large animal practices - well of course there are no emergency clinics for them.

Not trying to hijack this thread and turn it into the UK, but I do think that the UK and Australia are similar.