VISTA Archived Blogs

Effective January 12, travelers from countries participating in a US Department of Homeland Security Visa Waiver Program must register on-line through the department’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization before you embark on a trip to the US.

On-line applications may be submitted at any time before you travel, and once approved, will be in effect for up to two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.Authorizations will also be valid for multiple entries into the U.S. DHS recommends that applications be submitted as soon as you begin planning travel to the US, and not less than 72 hours prior to travel.

I’ve been working as a locum tenens in the emergency department of a public hospital in New Zealand since April of 2010. The international phase of my EM career is going well. To keep my brain limber, I took and passed the Certified Wound Specialist certification. I took the test at the testing center at The University of Auckland. Now I can take care of your wound on any continent.

Part VI:

The Final Step

Note: This is the fifth installment in a seven-part series on best practices in physician executive recruiting. 

Part V:

On-site interviews that WOW them

Sometimes-locum-tenens surgeon shares his first-hand impressions during surgical teaching mission to Ulaan Baator

Friday, Sept. 10, 2010

…in the few minutes before my plane takes off from Beijing, I’ll try to give you a quick overview of what I will be doing for the next few weeks.

As you know, I had been doing locum tenens work, covering general surgeons in rather rural and remote parts of the US (Ft. Kent and Houlton, Maine, Dansville, NY, Rock Springs, WY).  Last March, I got a call to cover the hospital in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and as you may know, that is very close to everything I have always enjoyed about Santa Fe.  Long story is that after a few visits, I was offered a job at the hospital in Los Alamos, and since November, I have been working there steadily, commuting to and from Los Angeles weekly as needed so that I can also continue my conducting at the Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra (www.ladso.org). 

Monday, Sept. 13, 2010

IIt seems unbelievable to me that I am actually writing from Khovd, in the western part of Mongolia, on my laptop, in a hotel, looking out over the unpaved, dusty streets as the sun starts to rise on another day.  A woman is herding her cow through what serves as a parking lot in front of the hotel, by throwing stones at its rump, as a pack of a dozen large dogs marches around the corner, off to do some damage someplace. From what I saw yesterday, these are not your sweet household pet type dogs, but serious animals who contend with all manner of abuse, from wolves to other animals, as well as competition within the pack.  We are told to grab some stones if we are out walking and come across the dogs.  Life is not easy here.

Note: This is the fourth installment in a seven-part series on best practices in physician executive recruiting. 

Part IV:

Screen IN before you screen OUT