What qualification do you hold?
I hold a Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Public Health and a Masters of Science in International Health from Charite University in Berlin. I also have an International Diploma Humanitarian Assistance Ireland/USA.
Are you a registered qualified medical doctor in New Zealand?
Yes, I am.
My medical degree is recognised in New Zealand and I am allowed to work in NZ as a fully qualified medical doctor due to my Irish Medical degree (International Medical Graduate (IMG)) under General Scope.
I am registered as a medical doctor in New Zealand and hold a current licence to practice medicine in New Zealand. I am registered with InPractice for continuing professional development.
Are you a fully qualified GP in New Zealand?
No I am not.
GP stands for General Practitioner and is a speciality that takes five years after graduation from medical school. After successful completion, doctors are awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of General Physicians in New Zealand.
There are many doctors working like general practitioners in the community in NZ who have practiced medicine for many years who have never done GP training as this was not necessary when they graduated.
In my case, I completed a 1 year Internship in Ireland, 4 years of GP training in Germany (the 1 year internship in Ireland was accredited to this) and then stopped due to our move to New Zealand. In New Zealand my training in Germany is not recognised towards the GP training scheme here, but the Irish internship is and I will have to do the three years of GP training in Germany again plus the year still outstanding, due to the differences between these health care systems.
Is Integrative Medicine a speciality?
Integrative Medicine is not currently a speciality. It is an evolving area of medicine and the Australasian Integrative Medical Association (AIMA) is working to have this area of medicine officially accredited and provide standardised high quality training in this area that can be applied to how any doctor practices medicine. Watch this space!
The Australasian College of Nutritional And Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) offers courses to doctors and a fellowship programme that is accredited by the Medical Council in New Zealand. I am currently pursuing ongoing studies with ACNEM.
Where can I see your registration with the Medical Council in New Zealand?
You can follow this link to see my registration with the New Zealand Medical Council.
Why is it more expensive to see you than a regular GP?
It may seem more expensive to see me compared to a non-integrative GP. Typically GP’s and other non-specialist doctors see approximately 4 to 6 patients an hour and earn more than I do because they see more patients. As I can typically see a maximum of 4 patients per session, patient’s are paying for my time and are getting value due to the extra time I put in behind the scenes.