CoRe Medical Services Limited

If you are interested in positions for the 2012 Winter season, please forward your expression of interest to anna.highfield@qmc.co.nz

Need some time out from the grind? Need to refresh your enthusiasm in the mountains & gain valuable wilderness medicine experience? Fancy reducing up to 6 Colles #'s in 1 day? .......then this is the job for you!

CoRe Medical Services Limited ~ A wholly owned subsidiary of Queenstown Medical Centre Ltd - employs enthusiastic doctors & nurses with sound emergency medicine skills and a good background in trauma to be "ski staff" for a season.

Queenstown is a vibrant town set in stunning scenery in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Combining work with fresh mountain air and your preferred snow sports, this is a unique opportunity to practice and gain experience staffing the on-mountain medical clinics at the two world famous ski fields - Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. You will work with ski patrollers and gain knowledge in snow safety and learn new skills.

The opening of the mountains is staggered, however usually starts with Coronet Peak early June, with the season ending at the beginning of October. It is however dependent on snow conditions, but both mountains operate extensive snow making machines.

Shifts also include 2-3 days each fortnight at Queenstown Medical Centre's Accident and Medical, where the vast majority of snow sport trauma is then definitively managed. The directors of QMC have well over 50 years experience dealing in snow sport injuries. Major trauma back-up is provided by the Lakes District Hospital and for the most severe, helicopter retrieval and transfer.

Doctors

• Registration with the New Zealand Medical Council (or be eligible for this).
• A minimum of 18 months post graduate experience including 6 months Accident and Emergency experience.
• Orthopaedic experience.
• A current ACLS.
• EMST/ATLS is beneficial.
• Basic snow sport ability.
• Be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.

Nurses

• New Zealand Registration (or be eligible for this).
• A minimum of 2 years post graduate trauma/emergency experience.
• A current CPR certificate.
• Basic snow sport ability.
• Be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.

Shifts

Shifts are on a fortnightly rotating roster and include:
• Ski fields - approximately 9am to 4.30 pm.
• Night Ski-ing on Friday and Saturday nights from 4pm until 10pm for part of the season.
• A&M sessions between the hours of 12 noon to 10 pm.
• A minimum of two days off each week.
• All operations are 7 days a week.

Other benefits include...

• Pre job training and on going CME through-out the season.
• Ski jacket, vests and trousers to wear while working.
• Best of all a seasons pass to both mountains to use seven days a week.
• Discounts at Mt Hutt (Methven), Treble Cone and Cadrona ski fields (both at Wanaka).
• Staff transport passes to take you to and from the mountains when working.

Working as a ski doctor in Queenstown has to be the most enjoyable job of my career so far. It has the perfect combination of great trauma experience; working with amazing people in the medical and ski patrol teams, time to ski at work and definitely the best view from the office.

I have enjoyed the new challenge of taking my current emergency medicine knowledge and applying it to the pre-hospital, wilderness/remote medicine setting. In the first aid rooms on the mountain, I have built on my confidence in decision-making and clinical judgement, and have learnt to adapt conventional practice to the mountain setting. It has been interesting to have a new set of challenges in the form of environment, exposure, and practicalities of transporting patients off the mountain.

The clinical exposure has been exceptional - seeing injuries such as cruciate and collateral knee ligament injuries fresh allows a unique early assessment. Also seeing patients in the clinic in town has allowed me to follow the progression of injuries as they develop. I have also been kept busy with procedures, and am sure I have reduced more shoulder dislocations in one season than I would see in an entire year in the emergency department. I had fantastic training at the start of the job, and felt well-prepared to deal with the wide range of injuries I have encountered.

I have also had the opportunity to be involved with the local helicopter rescue service receiving training in aero medical rescue and helicopter safety. A number of the medical staff have been able to fly on helicopter rescue missions during days off.

The area around Queenstown is amazingly beautiful, and offers a great variety of outdoor activities. During my spare time I have been able to go rock climbing, walking, and sightseeing. There is so much on offer on Queenstown that it is never boring here. The ski patrol and season staff are also really fun to get to know, and there is a great social side to the job.

The job allows you to see and manage an incredible range of injuries, while having enough time to ski and socialise, all in some of the most stunning scenery in New Zealand, highly recommended!

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"We had both been working in a large emergency department in Australia and were looking for a change. We have now been working for CoRe Medical Services and the Queenstown Medical Centre for the past two ski seasons and it has been the perfect answer.”

Working in the mountain clinics at both the Remarkables and Coronet Peak has provided us with the opportunity to practice our profession and be able to ski...all in the one job. Our patients range from those requiring a band-aid to those suffering major trauma and requiring helicopter evacuation off the mountain. Every day provides something different and offers new challenges. When things get quiet we are able to head out and ski to our hearts content as long as we can respond back to the medical room when required. We work closely with Ski Patrol on the mountains and get to know the local paramedics well as they transport our patients down to Queenstown for further management. The environment in a ski resort in New Zealand is remote and that is what we like about it. We have to use what we have to treat our patients and be ready for any eventuality.

We are a small team of mixed nationalities and experiences that come together to enjoy the winter and everything that the Queenstown area has to offer. We are just completing our second season here at CoRe and definitely thinking of coming back for a third!!

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Working as a ski field doctor in Queenstown is definitely the most fun job I have ever done. I worked with amazing people and was the first to see and treat a variety of injuries I would not be able to see anywhere else. I had all of this in addition to being able to ski everyday in one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

The job itself is a combination of pre-hospital, wilderness and emergency medicine, taking your skills out of the hospital environment into a first aid room and on the slopes. The social aspects, including team work and getting to know all sorts of new people are superb, particularly as it involves working closely with the ski patrol teams and all the staff at both Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ski resorts. Queenstown is a great party town, with lots to see and do 24/7.

I certainly took advantage of all these incredible opportunities and if other things permitted would consider doing another ski season!