Lismore NSW - Lindsey Smith BDS (Birmingham)

Age

47

Previous job in the UK:

I used to own a practice in South West Scotland.

What prompted you to come to Australia?

I guess I had what you could call a mid-career crisis. I thought to myself "I could be doing this till I am 60" and I needed a change. I did everything as one did in the 80s - finished university, got a job and never travelled. Although I could have sat there 'comfortably' for the rest of my life, I thought that there may be other things out there to experience. My husband and I felt that the worst thing that could happen would be that we didn't like it and we could leave.

We came out to Australia in 2005 to visit my brother in Margaret River (in an idyllic spot on the west coast of Australia). Although we enjoyed it, we didn't really think about it as an option for us. However, after heading back to Scotland, we kept thinking back to the outdoors and the sunny climate and realised that we wanted to be in Australia.

For us, Britain felt like it was a pretty unattractive place to raise children because of the weather and the general social and economic climate. For these reasons, we decided to make the move. So, I guess lifestyle was the real calling for our family.

What were the steps you took to come to Australia?

I found the details for DJS in the back of the BDJ and from the very first contact DJS were incredibly helpful and wanted to make the move to Australia as easy and lovely as possible for us. They really went beyond the call of duty. Somehow my passport got packed into a shipping container 10 days before we came to Australia and DJS really helped me sort out the visa side of things quickly.

Who did you come to Australia with?

My husband, two daughters and two cats all came out to Australia with me. All of us were able to come out on my 457 visa, although the cats went through 30 days quarantine before being allowed in to Australia.

What was your first job in Australia?

I had a job sorted before coming out to Australia. We were able to do some basic research online and found what we thought would be the ideal job in the remote and beautiful Albany in Western Australia. After working there for 10 months, we decided that this practice was not ideal for us.

How did you move jobs?

Luckily, going through DJS means you have the flexibility to move jobs. So I arranged what I called a "Dental Tour" - travelling around a few key towns on the East Coast, combined with a driving holiday and meeting with a few dental practices, arranged by DJS. We found the perfect place in Lennox Heads to live, where we have now bought a house (with a 12 m swimming pool!!) and I am working in Lismore. We are 10 minutes away from the beach and only about 15 minutes drive to the world famous beaches in Byron Bay.

Where are you working currently?

I am working in Lismore as an employee again and I am having a great time!! I am really happy being an employee after having owned a practice for years. I felt a little worn out after having owned a practice in the UK and going through the process of moving from NHS to private practice which was not a very pleasant experience. So, I am now content to not be involved in running a practice anymore.

What visa are you on?

A temporary 457 visa, but we are currently applying for a permanent residency visa because we absolutely love Australia.

What does your average day consist of?

I wake up to sunshine and warmth EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR (sometimes in winter it does get a little cold at night, but always nice and sunny in the day), which is really lovely and then start work at 8:30am. I do all types of general dentistry and see a wide selection of patients, but probably a maximum of 14 a day (a big difference to the 50 patients a day I would sometimes see back home with NHS). After finishing work at 4:30pm, I am home by 5:15pm. I have a bit of a drive home, but it is through the incredibly beautiful and aromatic Macadamia nut farms.

What's the biggest difference between working here and working in the UK?

It is much more relaxed and I have an ability to do dentistry as we were trained to do at school. I now feel very much in control of what I do and the dentistry I practice. I haven't got any of the interferences/bureaucracy that a dentist would be faced with in Britain at the moment.

How do your kids and husband enjoy the change?

My daughters are having a great time; both have integrated into school with few problems. We all enjoy the Aussie weekends and love living the outdoors lifestyle.

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