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our requirements are tied to requirements of all registration boards and reflect
the training and qualifications required for entry level into the profession in
Australia, where the minimum of degree qualification
has been the norm for up to 20 years in many states. The flow of
traffic into Australia has increased considerably over recent years
since we introduced some degree of flexbility - podiatrists who meet our
eligibility criteria ARE able to obtain registration to practice in
Australia without being required to sit any examinations. Likewise,
Australian podiatrists have much less difficulty obtaining licence to
practice in the UK. All of which has fostered greater international
communication and collaboration, broadening the horizons of those who
have availed themselves of the opportunity. Meanwhile, those
podiatrists who are eligible to sit the exam are being offered the same
opportunities available to practitioners of many other disciplines -
ours is one of the few that offers this form of limited reciprocity,
where some candidates are able to avoid sitting any form of examination.
...thanks Alison..
Last edited by Admin : 10th March 2005 at 03:02 PM.
My advice to you is if you have decided to come to Australia is to make sure any potential employer you may be considering is reputable and is willing to both treat you properly and to pay you the correct salary for your skills, Enquire and get hold of the public sector pay guides and look on recruitment sites such as www.podiatryzone.com at comparable job postings do not be dazzled by any potential employer telling you that they have a fantastic opportunity or lifestyle on offer without first making sure you are entering into a position that you will be happy with, because once you have accepted a sponsored position it can be very hard to change things or to move on to a new employer.
I would echo that sentiment, I've heard of real horror story, involving a dragon of a boss, low remuneration & a contract that was very hard to break. Not to mention a massive caseload & pressure to prescribe orthotics for pretty much every patient, regardless of symptoms.
Having said that, I've also heard some tales of excellent practices providing decent salary & working conditions.
It may be the expense that puts potential employers off taking on non-Aussie podiatrists; I was offered a sponsorship, & the company owner was pretty clear that it was a last resort for them because of the aditional finance compared with taking on Australian nationals.
It is expensive & time-consuming to sort out the paperwork to emmigrate to Australia, whatever type of visa you are after. There are special rules for many health care professions, but podiatry isn't one of them. The immigration dept doesn't recognise any shortage in podiatrists, it seems!
I wish you luck in your quest, if I make it out there before you, I'd happily consider you for work in my practice (such big plans, now all I need is my visa!).
I've heard of real horror story, involving a dragon of a boss, low remuneration & a contract that was very hard to break. Not to mention a massive caseload & pressure to prescribe orthotics for pretty much every patient, regardless of symptoms.
I think I know who you are talking about :(
Unfortunatly its not just overseas Podiatrists that can get treated badly - I have heard similar horror stories from recent grads here .... I have also heard horror stories from employers about how occasional recent grads have treated them ..... I am still trying to figure out how they seem to think its the University's fault
However, these are in the minority in the grand scheme of things.
My theory is that the longevity of a recent grad in the profession is directly proportional to the quaility of their first job.... if employers give them the crap work and treat them bad, they leave ..... ever wonder why there is a shortage?
__________________
Craig Payne
Department of Podiatry
La Trobe University
Melbourne, Australia http://www.latrobe.edu.au/podiatry
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________ God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things - right now I am so far behind, I will never die.
The views expressed above are those of the author and not that of La Trobe University This is where I am, where are you?
Perhaps there is hope for my plan to start a practice for high-quality pods?! I've worked for enough idiots to know how not to treat staff (whether or not my current team would agree, I don't know!). Shame so many employers seem to forget that staff are kinda vital, & if you want their best you've got to make them feel valued & respected. Sadly, employers in all walks of life do vary in their attitude towards their staff. :(
As a postscript to the dragon boss story, my mate was able to escape (without financial penalty) in the end - but only after a huge row that so enraged the boss that he told my mate to leave!
I am glad your friend managed to escape his "dragons clutches" it is a shame that many others are not so lucky. :(
Whilst I have no doubt that in the main podiatry employers are decent and honest there are a few in the minority who have little regard for immigrant staff and see it as a very nice little ruse to get good staff cheaper than Australian nationals and keep them on a bad deal.
It is also shame that these parasitic employers manipulate the system of sponsored visas and dodge accountability for their actions, I believe these employers see themselves as above the law and too clever to get caught.
I also believe there should be a database of pay rates both private and public, not set in stone but there none the less as a guide for the unwary so that when you are offered a position you have the opportunity of comparing it.
When I hear of professional Podiatrists coming over to Australia with several years experience for a difficult to fill position and then being paid less than many first year graduates get as a salary then something is very wrong.
Remember if a smooth talking employer sounds too good to be true they almost certainly are.... Check things out !
From what I understand podiatry is now a profession in demand in Australia on gives you the 60 point necassary for a visa, so sponsorship is no longer as important.
Re: Wage rates. Public sector pods are paid at varying rates between the states based on workplace or industry wide EBAs, with salaries (in Victoria)ranging b/w $50k to $80K plus tax benefits worth $8500 to $1600. Plus 9% superannuation. Most other states are slighty or in NSW greatly less.
There is a private sector award that is 30% lower than the public sector EBA, but wages are negatiated above this based somewhat on the public sector.
Unfortunately some in private practice don't truely employ the podiatrists but provide a fee sharing arrangmrnt which actually makes them contactors, which can have tax, superannuation and workcover implications.
If working i the private sector ensure youhave an employment agreement that has been independantly reveiewed.
__________________ Stephen Tucker Eastern Health
Podiatry Manager
Podiatry does seem to be in great demand in Australia and sponsorship is not the only option, however for many reasons some Podiatrists do choose to enter the country in this way.
Once you have entered as a sponsored employee, if you then find you are on a bad deal what can be done ?
This seems to paint a poor picture of overseas podiatrists working in Australia... I am employed here on a base salary of $35,000. I receive bonuses if I work hard - and not if I don’t – a system that works for me and my boss.
I receive a decent overall salary as I put in the hard yards & have an excellent working relationship with my boss. He had a UK podiatrist previously who was lazy & wasn’t prepared to work hard, as a result never got bonuses and felt 'hard done by' as she only got $35,000. (the sort who gives poms a bad name!) Just as some bosses try to rip off staff, there are staff who try to rip off bosses & want top dollar for little effort.
My boss did sponsor me (from Canada) it was a lengthy process and expensive but the end result is fantastic for both of us, Australia is a fabulous country & worth the effort to come.
I would suggest most bosses dont purposely give a bad deal, try communicating with them re your needs and theirs.
My understanding was that immigration would not grant a visa to someone being paid a basic salary of below the health care workers award which I believe is around $37,500 Perhaps this is a unique arrangement you have ?
Out of interest how does the bonus work to compensate you for the low basic ? I take it you must be on a high % of takings like 30 - 40% to compensate.
I believe to sponsor you would have only been a cost of $550 ish to the employer and usually a decent employer would pay for your flight and first few weeks accomodation.
I agree some employees in any walk of life can be lazy, However I do not believe this is common in Podiatry.
I would also agree that you can communicate with many employers although there are also some awful employers that won't listen because they believe you to be in a weak position, These employers believe they are above the law and too clever to get caught.
The UK Podiatrist you worked with must have been very Lazy or crazy if she was on a motivating bonus scheme and still did not work.
Last edited by Warrior : 10th March 2005 at 03:19 AM.
Reason: Forgot something
[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]"This seems to paint a poor picture of overseas podiatrists working in Australia... I am employed here on a base salary of $35,000. I receive bonuses if I work hard - and not if I don’t – a system that works for me and my boss. "
If you don't mind asking...
What sort of patients do you see at your clinic in Australia? Palliative, Diabetic, Sports Medicine based?
What do you get your bonus' for ? Extra patients seen after hours? Nail operations? Prescription orthotics?
I work at Sports Medicine clinic in New Zealand and have a small bonus system working but would be keen to fine tune it a little more.
That is not a lot of money a year to live on before tax.
Now I haven't been to Australia so maybe houses and things are cheaper???
But that works out at £276.76 A WEEK before tax.
What is the point???
A window cleaner in the UK with no Degree, no HPC, no CPD can earn a lot more than that a week now.
In private practice (and yes I know turnover does not equal profit) £300 a day is not rocket science to take in the UK. Without Visas or a boss trying to use and abuse you.
In fact $50000 Australian Dollars = £20,573.32 doesn't seem tempting either. Oh no!
I was also wondering what does the bog standard basic grade NHS Pod straight out of University get paid a year before tax?
Please enlighten me. I'm mystified as to why anyone would want to do this for this money unless they were newly qualified and wanted to see the world. Obviously money is not a motive.
~ $40-$45-$50 in private for "routine care" (some charge less)
Base salary for a new grad here in public sector is $41 150 plus tax benefit of $8000 something ( i don't fully undestand the complicated nature of it)
Australia is cheaper than the UK in many areas :) but not all areas so there is some merit in there being lower salaries on offer depending on where in Australia you live for example Sydney is very expensive and perhaps as expensive as London in parts, However Brisbane and Perth and many rural areas are much cheaper, So a degree of common sence should be exercised when looking for work, I would also advise ringing up other practices in an area you are thinking of going to to check out the reputation of your prospective employer, generally if you are talking to a bad one the community will know about it.
The issue in Queensland is that there appears to be no award applicable to podiatrists in the private sector, So if an employer was of the mind to mislead you they could con you into thinking that $35,000 OR $37,500 with a terrible bonus scheme was a good salary and by the time you found out that you had been played like a banjo it would be too late your choices then are you live with the bad bargain or do battle with a system not designed to support you. :(
__________________
'Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are'
My point was not about salary, just really to tell podiatrists wanting to come to Australia, not to be put off by horror stories, some of the horror stories are from employees who get very little (money) because they put in very little (effort). My experience, and that of the handful of overseas pods I know (mainly UK & NZ) is very happy.
But for those that have asked, I see all patients (Australian podiatry is very similar to NZ, more biomechanical than UK & Canada). I see lots of general treatments but enough diabetic and biomechanical patients to keep variety. My bonus is worked out on the total I earn. This seems to be common in Australia – I like it – you get rewarded for effort. My total salary with bonuses is around $50,000 which I am very happy with (I would only get the base of $35,000 if I was putting in minimal effort, I guess my boss does it this way to protect himself from lazy employees). I do see some urgent patients in lunch breaks and after hours (as I assume most people do) but generally work a normal week, not huge hours. Someone asked about who paid for flights – I paid my own way & my boss set me up in a share house. I paid my own rent - just as an Australian podiatrist would – why would you expect them to pay your rent just because you come from overseas? Don’t come here expecting to be treated like gold – Australians wont like that.
Robin – you can’t compare straight dollar for pound conversions. I worked for a year in UK & earned about 30,000 pounds (more than I earn here). As someone else said, the cost of living here is cheap, my standard of living here is much higher on my Australian salary, than it was in UK for more money. I find Australians much less money focused than many countries. I have lived and worked in Canada, UK, NZ & now Australia. Australia will be my home – it has an easy going lifestyle that suits me, is a most beautiful country with heaps to do, people are non judgmental and very accepting of different cultures. I appreciate Australia is a big country, I can really only speak from my experiences in Victoria but I have travelled a fair bit here & find similar attitudes everywhere.
If you move to another country, you have to be prepared to ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’. People (not just podiatrists) that I have found to be unhappy are those who move to another country but still want all the good things they had ‘back in the old country’ (but none of the bad things of course). Things are different in different countries, your house will be different, you will eat different food, they have lot of insects & poisionous animals here, you certainly have to deal with different attitudes and expectations from people you meet, and you have different salary and different expectations about what you do with that salary (I spend mine on travel – which is very Australian!). You can look on these things as a negative “we didn’t do it like that back home” which will make you a very unhappy person, or you can look on them as part of the excitement & challenge of moving to a new country & enjoy the experiences that you are sent. Your choice. My advice, having lived in 4 different countries, is that it is a huge culture shock every time, even when it is what you really want to do – don’t even try it unless you are really happy to embrace a new culture & everything that means. The experience will be what you make it, you get out of this life what you put in.
Also David, I am 44 and got work easily (2 year contract) so I don’t think our age is a barrier to people wanting to employ overseas podiatrists.
You said "My total salary with bonuses is around $50,000 which I am very happy with (I would only get the base of $35,000 if I was putting in minimal effort, I guess my boss does it this way to protect himself from lazy employees)"
Hotdog J
I am sure you did get work easily as the demand for Podiatry in Australia is huge and you have been more than accomodating.
It would be interesting to know how the bonus works ? could you enlighten me please, As I know of someone who is looking at changing their bonus scheme at the moment and wants to look at both ends of the spectrum.
__________________
'Success is not so much what we have as it is what we are'
I have found a link applicable to Public sector pay rates in Queensland that I believe cover Podiatry may be of interest to you all in these discussions.
Positions at this level consist of employees with a minimum of a UG1 (Degree) qualification or agreed equivalent and who are identified as belonging to the generic groupings listed in the definition statement.
Mandatory qualifications exist for entry to this level with an expectation of the application of professional knowledge gained through formal studies.
Positions at this level involve the delivery of basic professional services that are in support of agency objectives.
Characteristics of the Work
Work is initially performed under close supervision by a more experienced professional; however, this supervision is expected to reduce as experience increases. Guidance is always close at hand.
The solution of problems may require the exercise of professional judgement through the selection and application of procedures, methods and standards, however guidance from senior staff is readily available.
Employees at this level may operate individually or as a member of a project team within a work group.
Positions at this level generally have no supervisory responsibilities although more experienced employees may assist new employees by providing guidance and advice.
Possession of the mandatory tertiary qualification and experience is required for positions within this level.
Additionally, knowledge of basic practices and procedures relevant to the discipline is required. Professional judgement may be exercised within prescribed areas, however the provision of results is subject to verification and validation.
Duties and Skills
Positions at this level may involve an employee in a range of activities including the analysis and interpretation of findings as they relate to the elements of the work. They could also include the preparation of reports incorporating recommendations on basic operations.
Employees at this level perform non-repetitive tasks, governed by established procedures, specific guidelines and standardised instructions.
Employees who have obtained professional knowledge as indicated by successful completion of the appropriate 3 year undergraduate degree or diploma and be able to apply theoretical aspects of the relevant discipline to basic problems or minor phases of broader assignments.
Professional Officer Level 3
Work Level Description (PO3)
This level usually requires professional expertise in one or more areas of a discipline. Detailed knowledge of standard professional tasks is required with scope existing for exercising initiative in the application of established work practices and procedures.
At this level some supervisory responsibility of subordinate staff may be required. The degree of supervision is variable depending on the assignment or project.
Employees will be required to progressively obtain greater specialised knowledge through postgraduate qualifications or postgraduate developmental experience through attendance at specialist seminars and achieve higher level of outcomes under reducing professional direction.
Characteristics of the Work
Work is usually performed under general guidance with the general quality of output monitored by superiors. However, the technical content of the work is not normally subject to direct supervision. Guidance may be given in reviewing work programmes or on unusual features of an assignment.
Employees are expected to exercise initiative in the application of professional practices either as a member (in some situations as leader) or a specialist professional in multi-disciplinary teams or independently and may deputise for the professional head of a small work unit.
Employees at this level may have supervisory responsibilities for technical staff, if required, together with responsibilities for training and development of subordinate professional staff within the discipline.
Duties and Skills
Work at this level requires the undertaking of more complex activities and the selection and application based on professional judgement of new and existing techniques and methodologies.
Employees may carry out research under professional supervision and may be expected to contribute to the advances of the techniques used.
Supervisory responsibilities include on-the-job training, staff assessment and performance counselling in relation to subordinates within the discipline or para professionals, as well as authority for the verification and validation of work results of supervised staff.
Duties also include the responsibility for varied professional assignments, requiring knowledge of either a broad or specialised field. Problems would be addressed by the use of combinations of standard procedures and/or modifications of standard procedures.
See attached
Last edited by Podiatryzone.com : 10th March 2005 at 10:46 PM.
Reason: Forgot attachment
It was $35k + bonuses.
I know of a lot of podiatrists on amounts similar to that - when the bonuses are taken into account (up to 20% of billings), thats not pathetic.
So your are you telling me that 35k is acceptable as a basic for a well seasoned Podiatrist of 44 yrs of age even when as someone said earlier you can't sponsor someone form abroad on less than $37,500 and that figure is below any award ?
Ok so answer me this what should someone on a 35k basic earn with a 20% bonus on billings would you say ?
Infact what would you say is acceptable for a professional who is in demand to earn ?
Also as for all that fluff said earlier about not expecting too much I cant believe it.....It is common practice in most industries when sponsoring to pay flights over for interviews and relocation costs.....The issue as I see it is we are professionals to be respected and paid accordingly.
Last edited by HotpodNZ : 11th March 2005 at 12:58 AM.
Reason: Forgot something
Ok so answer me this what should someone on a 35k basic earn with a 20% bonus on billings would you say
A couple of podiatrists (grads with 4-5 yrs experince) I spoke to later were getting up to ~$500 - $1000/week in bonuses for some weeks on top of basic "retainer" salary --- most situations I am aware of are so variable (and there are lots of situations I am not aware of) - some are getting a higher salalry and no bonues or a small one .... others are on ~40% of gross with no salary... If I was a recent grad, I would be disapponted if not earning ~$60 000 in private practice as an employee (in combination of salary and bonuses) after having been there for few years and meeting certain performance targets (eg practice growth; patient satisfaction)
Last edited by Admin : 11th March 2005 at 06:03 AM.
At the risk of sounding like a smart-arse, actually podiatry does not appear on the current list of 'Occupations in Demand' on the DIMIA website, it does get 60 points for skill level, but that is not sufficient for an independent migration visa. For that, the pass is now, I think 110. As a 29 yr old with 8 years experience, I just about hit the pass mark, including points for English language ability, etc. If one is applying for an 'Australian-sponsored visa', in teh Sydney Area the goalposts are different, & the age thing would probably be less of a barrier (for the over 35s).
I think it is meaningless to compare salaries in the UK & Australia, because the cost of living and the lifestyle are so different. Moving to Oz is not something to be done if you want to make money, or make some other material gain. Living in Australia is about a different way of life from that 'enjoyed' by those of us in Britain, & for me is the ideal place to live because I love the people, the wildlife, the lifestyle & the climate!
I do, however, think that it is sad that some employers are quite prepared to exploit their workers, knowing that their stay in Oz depends on their sponsorship visa. However such is life, & I guess we all need to 'beware the shyster' in every part of our lives! Nice to know that our skills are in demand in more than one part of the world too!!
The reason why i posted this was to make a few points.
Podiatry gets Nil points at this time
46/47 years of age gets nil points also
Having the Diploma not the degree but 20 years continuous experience in both NHS 20 years and pp 11 years is also nil points as a degree is mandatory.#
I can sit an exam at a Uni to get my Diploma validated.
So as a 46/47 year old consider flying half way round the world to sit an exam then fly back .
Then wait for result.
If result negative shoot oneself ( all that time and money and no result)
Result is positive so APCO reg etc .
Now lets up and at em.
OH you are now 47 years of age .
HHHMMMMMMMMMMMM
So any way off to Sunny Spain for a nice spring holiday and a look see.
A friend was recently offered a post in Aus , but has turned it down
Podiatrist Shortage And Overseas Podiatrists
Employment
Shortage of Pods in Oz
Some are not so lucky
Thats very interesting Mary
So your are you telling me that 35k is acceptable as a basic for a well seasoned Podiatrist of 44 yrs of age even when as someone said earlier you can't sponsor someone form abroad on less than $37,500 and that figure is below any award ? 
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