Australia has some of the highest medical training standards in the world, which makes its doctors highly sought-after in most English-speaking health systems globally.
Aussies like Dr Manny Cassimatis have the world at their feet when it comes to exploring international career opportunities, with strong appetite from countries like Ireland to make use of their training and skills.
For Manny, an ED reg from Queensland, work in Ireland afforded a mid-career tree change, as well as an opportunity to experience a different culture and health system and of course, an excuse to travel the world.
(Not to mention popping over to England for Glastonbury Festival with his fiancée Anna during a week off in June, a feat that turned the Go Locum team green with envy 🍀).
If you want to learn more about your prospects of working as a doctor in Ireland or overseas, please get in touch.
Manny and Anna had been looking at opportunities to work in the UK for a while to link up with friends who live over there, although navigating the registration process was a struggle from the outside.
It wasn’t until Manny found himself working alongside an Irish doctor in Hobart that he seriously considered Ireland as a potential destination.
By coincidence, that same Irish doctor's brother happened to be a specialist in international recruitment at Rosata. Weeks later, he had an interview at Cork University Hospital, and the wheels were turning.
Manny tells us the Irish Medical Council (IMC) registration process itself wasn’t too difficult, although the wait time for processing can catch people off guard, so he was thankful to have a team working for him behind the scenes to get it over the line in time for his start date.
Manny moved to Ireland at the end of PGY-4, and his work at Cork (the second largest trauma centre in Ireland) has been challenging but well supported, with more than 6 Australian-trained FACEMs on the roster. One of the biggest differences to adjust to has been the more significant role registrars play in managing the flow of the department.
His pay is also slightly lower than the equivalent bracket in Australia, although in Manny’s eyes, it’s clearly worth it for the life experience and travel opportunities. Overall, his experience at Cork has been “excellent”.
But settling into the workplace hasn’t been the only challenging part of the journey. Manny tells us he had an easier time understanding people on his trip to Portugal than he did a farmer from West Cork at 2am.
“The Cork accent is a thing of beauty. But the Australian accent is also not one they are particularly familiar with in this part of Ireland, to the point that I have been accused of coming home from night shifts speaking an octave higher with musical Cork twang.”
Language barriers aside, Manny and Anna have been making the most of every opportunity to explore Ireland and the surrounding nations, with broader Europe trips planned for both on the way over to Ireland, and the way home. They visited London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Portugal and Bordeaux.
“The Irish people are incredible. They are welcoming, friendly, and are always up for some craic (fun). Every city and town in Ireland has the most incredible little pubs that are alive inside with music and conversation.
Ireland (Cork in particular) also has some incredible natural beauty a stone’s throw from the city. To my surprise, there are incredible beaches along the whole coast that have been perfect for the long summer days. We bought a car once we arrived and have taken every opportunity to road trip around the country; particularly the scenic West Coast along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, which has some of the most spectacular scenery you will see anywhere, including the Cliffs of Moher.”
Manny happens to be a diehard sports fan who has been known to stream Broncos games at any hour of the day or night. He’s found himself right at home among the range of professional sports on offer in Ireland and mainland Europe.
“The sports culture over here is also elite. We have loved getting to some domestic rugby matches. Undoubtedly though, the highlight has been Hurling. It’s fast, high scoring and brutal - very easy to watch as a foreigner with no idea what’s going on. It is like a religion in many parts of Ireland, especially Cork, and the atmosphere at games is electric.”
In the event that Manny’s career in hurling broadcasting does not eventuate, he and Anna are planning to return to Australia in January 2025, 15 months after leaving Australia.
If you want to learn more about your prospects of working as a doctor in Ireland or overseas, please get in touch.
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Locum doctor, founder of Go Locum and labradoodle enthusiast