SHO returning to Ireland wondering about a couple of things...

Dr.NickRiviera

Hey guys,

I have recently accepted an SHO position in a Dublin hospital after a wonderful 2 year experience in New Zealand. As most of my former classmates have packed up and joined me out there and Australia I did the very smart and obvious thing of packing up and heading back to Ireland to truly test my resolve and commitment to my profession! Besides I heard the country that educated me and made me a doctor needed help so how could I say no!?

Now although I completed my undergraduate training in Ireland I have never actually practiced in an Irish hospital and truly have no clue about the work conditions. I read a lot of material and speak to former classmates but everyone has a different story.

Suffice to say for the moment my main objective is to get my head down and plod on with carving a career in surgery. So...my question is how much should I expect to bring in on average a month after tax as a SHO. Apparently I will be working 39 hours/week and everything else is overtime. I was hitting 80 easily even in NZ where its meant to be comparatively a walk in the park. SHO's earning >60k AFTER tax...could this be true?

I only need to really know this as I don't want to sign a lease on a house that I soon find out I can't realistically afford to live in...(They don't pay for your food here either do they?) Oh and is it possible to locum while under contract with a hospital on weekends off?

Thanks and look forward to your replies!

PS Great to be back!

lonestargirl

Dr.NickRiviera wrote: »

Oh and is it possible to locum while under contract with a hospital on weekends.

Is your post a training post? If so you should be on the trainee specialist register and can't practice outside your post.

Traumadoc

AFAIK very little locum work available. I think pay has significantly dropped to.

From what I hear pay is much better in Australia/NZ

RobFowl

NO locum outwork while on the trainee register unless it is going in the hospital you are attached to.
Pay dropped but still reasonably good by international standards (will prob drop further though)

MrCreosote

Keep a copy of all hours worked and timesheets signed off by consultants. Make sure you get paid for each and every one of these hours- some hospitals are notorious for underpaying and altering timesheets. Check every month that you're getting paid for what you've worked.

Dr.NickRiviera

Thanks heaps for the replies guys. No I am not on the training register. Although its a training approved position I am taking it as a non trainee on the general register. So does that mean I can still locum if/when I have free time?

Also any idea about a ballpark income per month...have to agree on lease tonight...

lonestargirl

MrCreosote wrote: »

Keep a copy of all hours worked and timesheets signed off by consultants. Make sure you get paid for each and every one of these hours- some hospitals are notorious for underpaying and altering timesheets. Check every month that you're getting paid for what you've worked.

+1, also remember overtime is generally paid a month in arrears. Some hospitals are notorious for returning forms with questions a day before that month's deadline which pushes your payment back another month. With pension levy, USC etc I would assume 50k net for purposes of budgeting.

Also, re locum work the NCHD contract does forbid it if it would bring you over the EWTD hours - despite them flouting it all the time.

Dr.NickRiviera

Thanks heaps Lonestar that addresses my questions/concerns perfectly. I double checked with actual hospital payroll and they confirmed your estimates. I hope I did not come across the wrong way with worrying over money its just unfamiliar territory and I'd hate to be working hard and seeing all my earnings dissolve into paying someone else's mortgage.

We don't do what we do for the money...else we would have gotten into politics :P

Bring on the good times!

Icemancometh

lonestargirl wrote: »

+1, also remember overtime is generally paid a month in arrears. Some hospitals are notorious for returning forms with questions a day before that month's deadline which pushes your payment back another month. With pension levy, USC etc I would assume 50k net for purposes of budgeting.

Also, re locum work the NCHD contract does forbid it if it would bring you over the EWTD hours - despite them flouting it all the time.

Some hospitals are just flat out not paying unrostered overtime (ie non-call overtime). Despite the legal implications, I can see budget pressures forcing more hospitals down this path. IMO, don't budget for non-call overtime.