How does living on a Pacific Island for the next two years sound to you? How about the excitement of working in the only hospital within all of the respective islands and miles of ocean? How does treating very humble and grateful Pacific Islanders, and a collection of colorful and varied cultures from Micronesia and Asia, overlaid with the protective blanket of being a US Territory, sound? If this sounds like an ideal situation for your immediate future, grab your sunscreen and give us a call about this job you won't need a vacation from.
Letter from the Oncology Medical Director:
About the location:
This is a unique opportunity to live and work in one of the most amazing places in the world, no exaggeration! This is still the United States!We're a tropical island paradise, 6000 miles west of California, way out in the Pacific Ocean, much closer to Japan than to Hawaii, and close enough to the equator so that it's 78-92 degrees year-round.It's mostly jungle and beaches along pristine turquoise water. You can hike, bike, snorkel, and dive. Lots of good restaurants, unusual food, fruit, and vegetables. Things seem somewhat familiar (and everybody speaks English), but there are interesting cultural differences, too. And it's refreshing to live far from mainland noise, traffic, pollution, politics, crime, and stress.Here its safe, relaxing, and peaceful. About half the people are Asian, and a third are Pacific Islanders. Many are poor, vulnerable, and certainly underserved. Nearly all are friendly and welcoming, uncomplaining, and very grateful for care that you provide.
About the Oncology Program
About 4 years ago, we developed the first and only Oncology Program in the Islands. We now have a dedicated team (with high morale) with one medical oncologist, 1 NP, several PAs, 1 internist, and oncology nurses, CNA's, a financial counselor, pharmacists, and a receptionist. Our team is multi-cultural. The medical oncology treatment is as good as you'll find anywhere in the mainland we have access to all cancer pharmaceuticals, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. We have a Palliative Care program, and we've recently started an island-wide Cancer Screening and Prevention Program.
We work in an Oncology Center at a public hospital that's the only hospital. We have a hospitalist team, general surgeons, a radiologist (with CT scanners, DXA, mammogram, ultrasound, interventional), ob-gyn, ENT, nephrology, pediatrics, outpatient internal medicine, emergency room, and public health. We do refer off-island if a patient needs radiation treatment or complex cancer surgery. Administration here is patient-oriented and provider-friendly.
If you joined us, you'd be busy but not overworked.There's a lot of cancer here, and much of it is advanced (we're trying to change this with our Screening and Prevention program). You'd also have a job that you'd consider incredibly fulfilling helping people who really need your help, grateful people, people who are truly underserved and who deserve good care. Our job is to keep cancer care local as much as possible, so that patients can stay with their family, friends, and support system here. We also try to provide care that's culturally sensitive.
Pay and benefits may be a little higher in the mainland, but they're not bad here. The state income tax rate is very low, and there are no other taxes, so you get to keep much more of your income than you would in the mainland. Housing is less expensive here than in most places in the mainland.All providers work together as a team, doing our notes in one provider room, and often discussing cases together (it's a little noisy). We learn from each other. It's very rewarding. We all want to stay here long-term.
Requirements:
- US Territory, must be American residency-trained
- Board Certified/Eligible
- Will consider all Oncology or Hematology Subspecialties
- 90% of Federal taxes refunded at 6 months tenure, no additional federal taxes, low state taxes, no sales tax
- Annual salary $321,000
- Island living is remarkably less expensive than US Mainland
- 26 days paid vacation, plus 14 holidays
- One-time $10,000 relocation assistance plus economy airfare
- ACLS and BLS Certification required
- FQHC qualified for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program
- Active Medicaid/Medicare enrollment preferred, eligible for enrollment required
- Client contact is a leader on the licensing board
Thank you,
