Sagi – GP

My name is Sagi, and I’m a General Practitioner. We arrived in New Zealand in December 2024, coming from Israel. The entire relocation process took us a bit more than half a year after passing the OET exam.

In my opinion, the easiest part was the job interviews. The most challenging part was definitely dealing with all the visa-related matters.

My recruiter was Hayley, who supported me through the entire process. She was always available for any question and always happy to help with a smile.

One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was how kind, pleasant, and polite everyone is — and this remains one of the things I love most about New Zealand: the people. Naturally, the hardest part is the longing for family and friends. That’s why we decided to rent a home with a slightly higher budget and to buy new furniture and equipment, so we could feel comfortable and cozy in our new space.

At the moment, I don’t see a visit back to Israel happening anytime soon — the journey is long and difficult, and now that our child has started to adjust to the new environment, I prefer not to disrupt that process again.

Overall, it’s been an amazing experience, and we’re truly enjoying our new life here.

That said, I think it’s important to mention that if one’s partner is not in the medical field, it can be very, very difficult to find a job. This remains one of the biggest challenges for us as a family.

The work here is more relaxed compared to our home country. There’s also more time to carry out medical procedures, including minor surgeries, which I really appreciate.

The clinic I work at is amazing — I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.

To sum it all up: despite all the pressure of moving to a new country and adapting to a new culture — it was absolutely worth it.

A huge thank you once again to Hayley and Accent Health Recruitment for their ongoing support and guidance throughout the entire relocation journey.

Sagi