Junior Doctors Strike

[lidistick 70]

I'm a 'Junior' Doctor working at Waikato Hospital. I'm NOT a member of the Union but I work daily with my colleagues and I know the hours we all work. I'd like to gauge your thoughts on the issue as I believe there is going to be another strike next week.

Cheers.

[M325is 0]

What is the average junior doctors wage when they first start?

[Jeddy 0]

What is the average junior doctors wage when they first start?

Salaries for a 40-hour week range from about $48,000 for a first-year qualified doctor to about $82,000 for a senior registrar, the Resident Doctors Association says.

[M325is 0]

So $48,000 for first year working and $82,000 after you have worked for an average of how long??

[Jeddy 0]

So $48,000 for first year working and $82,000 after you have worked for an average of how long??

Junior doctors range from first-year qualified doctors to those with more than 12 years' experience.

[Mark 178]

You guys keep us alive... we should pay you as much as you want! The worst part is all the good docs are going overseas for more coin and we're getting stuck with the leftovers!

[M325is 0]

personally I think 48 is pretty damn good for juniors!! Thats $23/hour start rate. Maybe senior doctors should get a raise so they are on 90k-100k

[Jeddy 0]

personally I think 48 is pretty damn good for juniors!! Thats $23/hour start rate. Maybe senior doctors should get a raise so they are on 90k-100k

Considering they've been at uni for what 7years and have a 100k student loan?

They may get well paid but they've worked bloody hard to get there.

Also i think the average no. of hours they work is more like 64-68 from memory

Edited April 30, 2008 by jeddy

[M325is 0]

The problem is one kind of people hogging the Emergency ward for colds and flus etc. Get rid of them immigrants and our health system would be f**king top notch!!

[M325is 0]

Considering they've been at uni for what 7years and have a 100k student loan?

Yep, they don't have to pay it off straight away, a percentage will come off there wages, i think its 3% or something minor. I think 2 years working is fair for a whole lifes education.

[Mike 1]

Yep, they don't have to pay it off straight away, a percentage will come off there wages, i think its 3% or something minor. I think 2 years working is fair for a whole lifes education.

I reckon they have it pretty rough. I'll be on a similar salary after only 4 years at uni, 40 hour weeks and IMO much more less stressful work. 7 years or whatever it is along time studying, no wonder there leaving if they're only getting $48K.

Also, we need immigrants in this country to fill the voids left by migrating graduates - becuase they get sh*t house pay. What would you prefer - pay a decent wage and keep New Zealanders in NZ, or accept immigrants as a necessary part of keeping our country going?

My 2c

Edited April 30, 2008 by Mike

[antony 0]

I reckon they have it pretty rough. I'll be on a similar salary after only 4 years at uni, 40 hour weeks and IMO much more less stressful work. 7 years or whatever it is along time studying, no wonder there leaving if they're only getting $48K.

Also, we need immigrants in this country to fill the voids left by migrating graduates - becuase they get sh*t house pay. What would you prefer - pay a decent wage and keep New Zealanders in NZ, or accept immigrants as a necessary part of keeping our country going?

My 2c

+1, pretty much exactly what I was going to say.

[cainchapman 0]

For a 40 hour week, $48k straight out of Uni (when you still no nothing in essence) is pretty good money. You didn't list the 12 weeks holiday (or whatever that may be) as every week of leave equates to a 2% payrise

However, I would expect that that should rise rapidly from there on in.

I do believe they are undervalued. Auckland's Starship hospital have excellent staff and I have needed to visit there with my daughter 2 or 3 times.

You can't really complain about the student loan debt. It's not as if it just appeared and you didn't know what you were getting yourself into. If you picked being a Doctor as a career to get rich, maybe you need to have another think. To live a good lifestyle, further down the road. I'd say you're sweet.

Look at the rich-list for any country, they are either old money or Engineers or Entrepeneurs.

My opinion would be that chosing to be a Doctor is driven more from the desire to do something good and falls along with Police, Nurses, Ambulance staff, and Fire Fighters. And out of those careers, I would pick the last.

FYI and first year Fireman will get $55k working 2 fourteen hours days, then 2 ten hour nights and then having 4 days off. However, they could die on any day.

Good luck with the strike.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Cain

[*Glenn* 854]

If those salary packages are correct... I would have to agree for pay rises for all medical staff NZ wide.

Bloody hell......it is OUR health system. Reduce the dole packages and increase our health salary packages

My daughters first year as an Accountant with KPMG $50,000, 2nd year $70,000 and shes only 25, no student loan and not quite fully qualified....yes she got a $20,000 pay rise yesterday ( makes a Dad proud )

She fixes her mistakes on Monday mornings

Doctors bury theirs

Makes sence, that we need well trained,happy and well paid doctors in our health system

This Government really has rocks in their heads and fingers up each others arses (time for a change)

Just my rant & rave

Glenn

Edited April 30, 2008 by botanymotorworx

[Grant 4]

Junior doctors have my full support. They are massively underpaid. $23 an hour is just nuts when weighed up against the responsibility they have.

I agree with Cain. The Starship doctors are brilliant.

Cheers

Grant

[Gus 5]

thats not great at all..i know the cost of living is greater here by a lot but pretty much anyone could get paid 48k straight outta uni.

glenn, congrats to your daughter..nice work! KPMG from what I hear is great, a lot of accountancy firms a like that..pay only goes up too.

Reduce the dole packages and increase our health salary packages

of course that would make far too much sense to the nazis in govt! there is a reason why nz is behind and every decent grad leaves (not all, but a lot)

[lidistick 70]

First years earn about $60K if they are on a 60 hr week scale. it takes a junior doctor about 5 years to get to $90K and the hours don't drop off.

Senior docs start at $120K and move upwards to $220K (after about 10 years as a senior).

I think for me the biggest bone of irritation I have is that we do 72 hrs easily but no penal rate applies unless we cross the 72 hr threshold in 7 days. So what management does is roster you for 72 hrs over 7 days(for the weekends) and you still do a 55 hr week the following week.

When we do nights, we do seven x 10 hr shifts. So stay away on thursday night ok. We are shattered by then

[westy 614]

Wish I could go on strike for more pay.

[Grant 4]

First years earn about $60K if they are on a 60 hr week scale. it takes a junior doctor about 5 years to get to $90K and the hours don't drop off.

That is crazy, and unfair to you guys, you deserve a lot better!!

[*Glenn* 854]

Thanks Gus

BTW it looks like the strikes on Wednesday (news)

You have my full support

Hope Helen has a hernia on wednesday

[mr E34 11]

If those salary packages are correct... I would have to agree for pay rises for all medical staff NZ wide.

Bloody hell......it is OUR health system. Reduce the dole packages and increase our health salary packages

My daughters first year as an Accountant with KPMG $50,000, 2nd year $70,000 and shes only 25, no student loan and not quite fully qualified....yes she got a $20,000 pay rise yesterday ( makes a Dad proud )

She fixes her mistakes on Monday mornings

Doctors bury theirs

Makes sence, that we need well trained,happy and well paid doctors in our health system

This Government really has rocks in their heads and fingers up each others arses (time for a change)

Just my rant & rave

Glenn

The FAMILY is looking for an accountant, maybe we could come to an arrangement with your daughter/ my son.

Naturally there would have to be a dowry on your part Glenn.(the female side of the arrangement).

[M325is 0]

and Fire Fighters. And out of those careers, I would pick the last.

FYI and first year Fireman will get $55k working 2 fourteen hours days, then 2 ten hour nights and then having 4 days off. However, they could die on any day.

Good luck with the strike.

Mmmm firemen toot toot

[*Glenn* 854]

The FAMILY is looking for an accountant, maybe we could come to an arrangement with your daughter/ my son.

Naturally there would have to be a dowry on your part Glenn.(the female side of the arrangement).

Yeah ....right

I'm not so sure her partner would agree to that though. And your son would need very deep pockets.....VERY DEEP

Her aspirations are very, VERY high

[mr E34 11]

Yeah ....right

I'm not so sure her partner would agree to that though. And your son would need very deep pockets.....VERY DEEP

Her aspirations are very, VERY high

There would have to be extra in the dowry to cover this.

[M325is 0]

First years earn about $60K if they are on a 60 hr week scale. it takes a junior doctor about 5 years to get to $90K and the hours don't drop off.

Senior docs start at $120K and move upwards to $220K (after about 10 years as a senior).

I think for me the biggest bone of irritation I have is that we do 72 hrs easily but no penal rate applies unless we cross the 72 hr threshold in 7 days. So what management does is roster you for 72 hrs over 7 days(for the weekends) and you still do a 55 hr week the following week.

When we do nights, we do seven x 10 hr shifts. So stay away on thursday night ok. We are shattered by then

Sounds like OSH or NZ health and safety needs to come to the party, thats like sending a truck driver out at night to do a delivery after being on the road all week. You are going to kill somebody sooner or later!! As for that money though, its pretty good after 5 years so quit your complaining!!