Dr. Camen Bown and her husband, both doctors, were completely burnt out.
“We were both working over 80 hours a week, never spending time together, and overall not happy with our careers in medicine,” she told Travel Noire. “I was frustrated by my inability as a doctor to provide health care the way I had envisioned it as a younger person. That, coupled with the exhaustion made us seek a change.”
The two packed up and moved to New Zealand for what was supposed to be a one-year assignment in 2010.
“After falling in love with the country, the people, and most importantly the work-life balance, my husband and I opted to make the temporary a permanent life change.”
Three years later, they moved to New Zealand later Australia.
“During this time, I learned that hyperconsumerism and supposed ‘needs’ were not real,” she added. “I didn’t need a huge house, two cars, and all the extras we are taught that signify happiness in life. New Zealand made us slow down and strip away the things that weren’t truly important to be happy.”
Dr. Brown is now helping other people in the medical field make the move abroad through her company Expat MD where she helps to facilitate contacts between doctors and practices. Her goal is to provide a full service and professional experience for doctors who want to live and work in Australia and New Zealand.
“Over my 10 years overseas, I have helped several doctors make the same transition. With each doctor I helped, I realized that with my experience in working in two countries that I could help others navigate the sometimes tricky system to become licensed to practice in Australia or New Zealand. That’s how ExpatMD was born. It took me two years to write a book giving other physicians a ‘blueprint’ on how to move to Australia and New Zealand. The book was the catalyst for the consulting.”
And while she’s focusing on doctors for now, she hopes to expand her services to help other professionals who would like to find ways to live and work in other countries.
“I truly think society will be better when there is a more global exchange of ideas and culture,” she said. “No one should ever accept unhappiness as the default. That is NOT your lot in life. Find ways to regain control and create your happiness. Sometimes your original ‘plan’ may look a lot different from what you envisioned but trust yourself and the process. You do have choices.”
