The thought of travelling to a place with a great lifestyle and being able to spend more time outdoors, while working similar hours, was a great motivator.
We have now had two kids, Milos and Jack who were both born in Australia and are Australian residents.
Byron Bay NSW - Jan Safranek BDS (Newcastle) and Helen Safranek BDS (Manchester)
Ages
35 and 36
Career history before Australia
We graduated in 1996, finished VT and worked for three years in hospitals doing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and then in NHS practice in Sunderland and Newcastle-upon-Tyne followed by mixed NHS/ private practice in London.
Why Australia?
Three reasons:
- It was not a particularly great time to be working in the UK in dentistry, with the number of changes taking place with privatising dentistry and NHS.
- The thought of travelling to a place with a great lifestyle and being able to spend more time outdoors, while working similar hours, was a great motivator.
- Many other UK dentists were (and still are) doing the same thing.
When did you move to Australia?
In 2000 we came out to Australia sponsored by DJS and stayed for 9 months working on the Sunshine Coast for Queensland Health and taking locum positions in private dentistry.
In 2001 we decided to move back home to the UK, motivated by family and friends getting married back there.
In 2004, after 3 more years in the UK we decided we couldn't resist another stint in Australia and came back. Sponsored, once again by DJS.
In 2007, we applied for and attained Permanent Residency in Australia.
I (Jan) am currently working for a private dentist in Byron Bay, an idyllic town on the beach in the far north of New South Wales (about 9 hours drive from Sydney, 2 hours from Brisbane and 1.5 hours from Surfers' Paradise).
We have now had two kids, Milos and Jack who were both born in Australia and are Australian residents.
What are the advantages of working where you do?
The lifestyle and outdoor activities available to us because of the climate and the beach, outdoor activities (especially surfing and camping) are a great motivator.
There is a great community where we live, many colleagues and support around.
What have you experienced professionally / personally by working in Australia?
Dentistry is actually quite different in comparison to the UK. It is also of a very high standard here, but is a more exclusive product ie: 80-90% of the work you do is considered Private.
How did you go about getting a job in Australia? What was your experience like?
We found out about DJS through the BDJ and registered our interest. DJS found us all of our jobs and allowed us to move between jobs as we needed.
Any regrets?
Other than living so far away from family there are none that I can think of. Luckily, our parents get to visit on occasion.
If you are interested in having an Australian experience like this one, contact Dentist Job Search at www.djs.com.au / info@djs.com.au
