Dr. Mike completes his work in Australia on time after leaving the NHS
I’m a British doctor who fled the NHS to work Down Under: This is the shocking reality of working in Australia
- Dr. Michael Mrozinski moved from the NHS
- He was shocked when he was told to go home on time
A British doctor admits he was shocked when told to ‘go home on time’ during his first shift in Australia.
Dr. Michael Mrozinski said it was ten past five on his first day Down Under when his boss asked why he was “still there.”
“I was so confused, do you really want me to go home? Madness,’ he said.
He had only been gone for ten minutes, but soon realized that Australians are much more relaxed and value a good work-life balance.
The young Scottish-born doctor has previously said his ‘worst day ever working in Australia is still better than his best day on the NHS’.
Dr Michael also referred to the move to Australia as ‘rescuing’ his passion for medicine.
He has worked all over the country but the GP now mainly works from offices in St Kilda, Melbourne and enjoys advocating for men’s health, practicing sports medicine and doing skin checks.
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Dr. Michael Mrozinski said it was ten past five on his first day Down Under when his boss asked why he was ‘still there’
“It’s sad that I have to move to the other side of the world for that, but it’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.
The doctor made headlines two years after he first landed in Australia – when he spoke of a viral campaign about a vacancy for doctors in the remote Queensland town of Julia Creek in 2022.
The city was looking for a permanent doctor for its 500 residents and had advertised rent-free housing and a salary of $500,000 a year.
A doctor was put to work after the campaign went viral, with the help of the popular GP.
In a video about the opportunity, he said doctors “don’t care that much about money” and explained how difficult it is to work remotely like this, mostly around burnout.
He is no stranger to the rural circuit, spending his first two years mainly in hospitals across Queensland including Cairns, Townsville, Atherton, Inglewood, Texas and Warwick.
He has since advocated for more doctors to move to Australia, citing the surprises he encountered along the way on Instagram.
And other medical professionals echoed his sentiments about work-life balance in Australia.
“So many people are moving from the NHS to Melbourne. They giggle a little when I say there are 40 people working in the ER,” said one man.
Dr. Michael, pictured here with his partner, on a working visit to Queensland earlier this year, doing rounds in the countryside
“I get scolded for not taking my tea breaks here,” said a former NHS doctor.
“I had the same thing only I’m a nurse, I said I just had to finish a few things and they said you would do it,” one woman wrote.
Others explained the importance of “going home on time.”
“Aussies never want to be at work, it’s the best part of their culture,” said one.
‘In my graduation year I was told to go home on time and pick it up the next day. Otherwise I’m not estimating my time correctly,” said another.
Some also noted that doctors leaving on time is a matter of safety, not laziness.
“A doctor’s mental health and ability to make the right decision is important. We don’t want tired doctors,” said one woman.
A woman begged Dr. Mike to “keep it to himself.”
“Don’t tell the other doctors left here, we don’t have them,” she scolded.
Dr. Mike has previously targeted people trying to scare doctors into moving to Australia and says it’s the best thing he’s ever done.