Perth WA - Dr Jennie Hood BDS (Dundee)

Age

28

From

Ayr in Scotland (south of Glasgow)

Graduating university

Dundee, Scotland

Previous job in the UK:

I completed my Vocational Training year in Scotland and continued working a further 2 years with same practice. I was working mainly with NHS patients and I found my working days quite stressful, I wasn't enjoying work and decided that I needed to move somewhere else to gain more job satisfaction.

How long have you been in Australia

I've been in Australia for just over 2 years and I am currently applying for permanent residency, so am hoping to stay a lot longer.

What made you take the plunge and move to Australia

My ex-partner was interested in moving to Australia. And since Scotland isn't the exactly warmest of places I decided that now was as good a time as any to move to sunny Australia and change my work and lifestyle hopefully for the better. I thought that I was perhaps too old to move somewhere else but there were so many other doctors and dentists working out here of the same age and in the same situation.

Where are you currently working?

I am working in a suburb 20 minutes south of Perth, Western Australia. I ended up in Perth because we had friends over here. The plan was to travel and eventually move to one of the bigger cities to work but Perth suits me perfectly. It's very laid back here, like a big country town.

Describe your current role:

I am currently an Associate Dentist treating patients with private health cover although I also see a number of government patient and some on a completely private basis. I do pretty much the same as I would do in the UK but I find I have a bit more time and clinical freedom. I have the time to explain things more clearly and to complete treatment in the time I require for each individual patient. The job is more satisfying and at the end of the day I leave my practice in the sunshine.

What does your average day consist of?

I wake up early and do some exercise in the sunshine before work. Then I will maybe meet up for breakfast with some friends before heading home to get ready for work. Some nights I play beach volleyball and I play hockey at the weekends in the 'winter' - which is what they call it here.

Perth is great if you like sports and outdoor activities. A lot of people come here for the Kite surfing in the summer months and the surfing isn't bad either. The beaches I think are the best in Australia. I'm so glad I moved here as every day feels like a holiday.

How did you go about finding a job in Australia?

My friend was sponsored by DJS and recommended them to me. She came out to Australia immediately after completing her VT and was loved it, so I followed her recommendation. DJS were very easy to deal with. They organized my visa and work for me. If you are diligent with organizing all of the paper work, it can take as little as 3 months to finalise. At the moment I am applying for permanent residency, so I never have to leave!!