The Beginning of the End

Hey everybody. This is the post that I (and, I think, many of you) have been waiting for. Last week as I was walking down a loading ramp at Halifax Airport I received a call from the CPSO. I heard the familiar voice of the coordinator of the Registration Committee and she told me that they had reached a decision and approved my license to practice medicine in Ontario!

Needless to say, this news was well-timed and my family was pretty happy to hear it. As for myself, I suppose I have mixed feelings about it. It's a bit complicated and there are many reasons -- not the least of which is the fact that I do enjoy working here. When I made the decision to come to Newfoundland it was with the expectation that I could spend the rest of my career working here and that it may take a minimum of 5 years before I could return to Ontario (if at all). In retrospect, it's surprising how quickly I was able to come home.

As I mentioned in my previous post, this first step may very well end up being the easiest. The hard part is to find a job and the Anesthesia job market is very poor at the moment. I was contemplating taking a chance and jumping feet first into the Ontario locum market without the security of a permanent job offer. But, I've decided against it for the following reasons:

• The locum market seems to be just as bad as the permanent job market in Ontario. It is doubtful that I'll be able to successfully string together enough locums to last a full year.
• The Gov't of Nfld. just caved in to the NLMA's demands and doctors here will, on average, earn the same as other doctors in Atlantic Canada. (Translation: big pay raise).
  
• My position here in St. Anthony is not as secure as I thought it was. I don't have the space here to explain but thanks to a wishy-washy anesthetist elsewhere in the region, a 4th Anesthesia spot was created here in St. Anthony when, technically, there are only 3 on the books. If I resign and then say "oops", the 4th spot will likely vanish and no longer be available. (There goes Plan B).
  
• The Anesthesia job market in Nfld., which was fairly open as little as a year ago, has tightened up considerably. Chronic shortages are being filled and, I've heard, there may be an influx of Irish doctors fleeing the economic problems of Ireland and Nfld. may be attractive given the pre-existing contingent of Irish-trained doctors here. (There goes Plan C).
  
• I'm an anesthetist -- I don't take impulsive risks except under extreme duress. :)

So, I've decided on my job search strategy: I won't quit my position here in St. Anthony until I manage to secure a permanent job offer from Ontario. I'm going to start working on my CV and cover letter this weekend and I'll start making inquiries in earnest in the new year.

My travel plans are starting to shape up as well. I'll be going to Banff for a conference and to Winnipeg to visit a friend near the end of January. Then it'll be back to Toronto for Chinese New Year and then to Ottawa for another conference in early February. In early May I'll be travelling to Tibet and China with my parents.

Things are starting to fall into place!