DoctorConnect Friendly Community Award winner

Congratulations Griffith, New South Wales!

The community of Griffith has set the benchmark for the rest of Australia in ‘putting out the welcome mat’ for overseas trained doctors (OTDs).

Medical staff at the Griffith Base Hospital provide quality healthcare and comprehensive clinical services for approximately 24,000 people living in Griffith and the surrounding areas. Many of the medical staff were trained overseas and originally moved to rural practice to comply with Australian medical registration requirements. Most are now happy to call Griffith ‘home’.

While the relaxed lifestyle is a big attraction, the incredible enthusiasm and inclusive attitude with which both the hospital staff and local community welcomed these doctors was often cited as a deciding factor in staying. As a region with a strong history of immigration, a couple of doctors noted that working in Griffith was like being in a mini-United Nations!

Their advice to other OTDs considering work in rural Australia? Forget your preconceived ideas and just ‘try it’.

For more information about Griffith, visit the Griffith City Council website. For Area of Need medical vacancies in New South Wales, visit the New South Wales Health Service website.