10 - Burned Out OB/GYN to Expat Physician: Dr. Carmen Brown's Australia & New Zealand Journey

What if a one-year locums assignment changed the course of your entire career? For Dr. Carmen Brown, that's exactly what happened. An OB/GYN in the United States, Carmen found herself increasingly burned out by the realities of modern medicine. "I was over the encroaching EMR. I was getting to the office early just to finish notes from the night before and staying two hours late..." A vacation to New Zealand and Australia sparked a different vision for what life could look like. What started as a one-year locums position in New Zealand turned into more than a decade abroad and eventually a permanent move split between New Zealand and Australia. In this episode, we discuss Carmen's journey from physician burnout to building a new life overseas, as well as what physicians should know if they're considering practicing in Australia or New Zealand themselves. You'll learn: ✔️ Why Carmen left the U.S. healthcare system ✔️ How a one-year locums assignment became a long-term international career ✔️ The differences between practicing medicine in the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia ✔️ What physicians should know about licensing and finding jobs abroad ✔️ Common mistakes doctors make when planning an international move ✔️ Her advice for physicians wondering if there's a better way to practice medicine If you've ever looked at your inbox, your charting, or your schedule and wondered how long you can keep doing things the same way, this conversation offers a glimpse into another possibility. **Interested in learning more?** Check out Carmen's book, Expat MD: Your Guide to Living and Working as a Physician in Australia and New Zealand, available on Amazon. **Editor's Note:** This episode was originally published on May 11, 2021. Long before physician burnout became a mainstream conversation, Carmen recognized that the path she was on was no longer sustainable. Rather than leaving medicine altogether, she found a different way to practice. Her story remains a powerful reminder that sometimes the solution isn't walking away from medicine—it's finding a place where medicine works differently. 🔗 JOIN US Join our physician-only private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/936658356753142/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hippocratic\_adventures/ 🌍 MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU Start your adventure with our FREE Physician Starter Kit: https://www.hippocraticadventures.com/start-your-adventure/ 7 Physician Jobs You CAN Do from Abroad (Free): https://mailchi.mp/hippocraticadventures/physician-jobs If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. It really helps us get this message into the hands of physicians who need to hear it.