Practice on Purpose | Episode 6

Practicing Medicine Abroad: Stories from Spain and New Zealand

Welcome to Practice on Purpose, where physicians can explore how to set up their career on purpose from the very beginning to stay connected to their purpose for their entire career. Today we’re talking about practicing medicine abroad. Our guests are Doctor Michelle Floyd Rebolo and Doctor Ariana Sundik. Doctor Floyd Rebollo is a pediatrician in Miami, Florida, and previously lived and worked in Bilbao, Spain. Doctor Sundik has been practicing family medicine in New Zealand for seven years. Both are here to share their stories and offer their perspectives.

Published on
September 30, 2024

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Chapters

  • 0:00:05 – You are listening to practice on purpose, where physicians can explore how to set up their career on purpose (intro).
  • 0:01:19 – Ariana and Michelle describe how they came to live abroad.
  • 0:03:30 – Michelle, could you describe the kind of work you did while in Spain?
  • 0:04:57 – Ariana works with the indigenous community here in New Zealand.
  • 0:06:33 – Why do you continue to practice in New Zealand?
  • 0:08:47 – Why did you (Michelle) return to the US after your time in Spain?
  • 0:09:31 – Michelle, what did you like best about practicing in Spain?
  • 0:11:45 – Ariana says the work life balance is better in New Zealand.
  • 0:16:19 – Ariana says it’s important to speak the language when practicing abroad.
  • 0:18:27 – Michelle had some challenges with her pediatric license when she went to Spain.
  • 0:19:55 – Did either of you have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy or paperwork?
  • 0:22:32 – What advice would you give someone who’s considering working abroad?
  • 0:25:04 – Michelle says having kids in Spain was a completely different experience from the US.
  • 0:31:24 – Ariana says there are opportunities to study abroad during medical school.
  • 0:32:42 – Short term gigs can be beneficial, but there is a learning curve.
  • 0:37:10 – Michelle says caring for others is her greatest passion or purpose right now.
  • 0:39:13 – Michelle recently became a medical director for an online child therapy and mental health organization.
  • 0:40:31 – Ariana says giving everyone access to healthcare is her greatest passion or purpose.
  • 0:44:43 – This episode focuses on living and working abroad and practicing medicine abroad (outro).