If you’re considering private practice don’t default to the big cities as your only option – there are real opportunities in our country if you are prepared to open your mind to the possibility that you too could escape to the country.
Why to seriously consider a country practice.
It is a proven fact that very lucrative business opportunities exist in country practices, aside from the reality that you will be meeting a demand for healthcare service to the very people who desperately need it you will be amazed to know that the financial rewards are significant.
The most obvious is the fact that the volume of patients translates into revenue and there is a not the competition that exists in the larger centres where everyone is fighting for a slice of the same pie. Also, for those professionals who want a more general focus in their field there is nowhere better to you’ll find it than in the country practice.
The second less obvious is that it affords a far healthier lifestyle for the whole family – and what’s more for young families it affords you the time to actually be part of your children’s lives as they grow up.
What struck me in our journey, was the real sense of community in each of the centres we visited. Something we all long for and which we value more as we get older. Community that is the glue that holds our fabric of society together, this is much harder to find in a big city and few often really feel they belong. Also to note that the people who run the main industries in smaller towns really know their business – for them it’s a matter of if they don’t succeed they will be exposed. All of the people we met displayed high levels of accountability and leadership, as we say in South Africa – salt of the earth quality folk.
What is also important to note is that all the centres in country towns are within easy reach of an airport, ones where the quality of the service far surpasses that of any major international airport I’ve recently visited.
Yes, there may not be all the mod cons like uber, woollies food and the like, but what there is, cannot be bought! And just for those ultra-cynics – some of the smaller country towns are addressing their electricity and water issues far more effectively than the media would have us believe.
And finally, if decide the country practice is not ultimately for you and you’re set on a city practice, think on this; a secondment for a few months or week a month of community outreach in a country town might just be that restorative soul experience you need to remind you of why you chose to work in healthcare. And what’s more you will be well rewarded.
