Resident Doctor - Orthopaedics - Palmerston North

Resident Doctor - Orthopaedics - Palmerston North

Head Medical are seeking post foundation trainees for Orthopaedic positions in Palmerston North - a vibrant and youthful city, set at the foot of the Tararua mountain range. It has all the facilities that you would expect of a city, yet is still compact, accessible and easy to navigate.

- Enjoy cycling and mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, golfing and more!
- An ideal central location to explore the rest of the North Island, including; beaches in Foxton and Himatangi; fabulous Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa vineyards; premier ski resorts and gorgeous lakes in Taupo and Rotorua.
- February / March 2025 commencement – 12 month contract
- Salary $105,672 -$140,082 NZD ( depending on experience)

The Role







Palmerston North Hospital is a 380 - bed secondary hospital on the lower North Island, servicing a total catchment population of approximately 200,000 people, of which approximately 90,000 live in the city. The department is a modern facility with close access to ICU, radiology, and operating theatres. All acute services are provided on site with the exclusion of neurosurgery, cardio-thoracic and plastic surgery. Patients requiring these services are transferred to Wellington.

The region is diverse with a higher-than-average trauma workload due to agricultural injuries as well as road accidents. There is an established trauma team who work closely with anaesthetics and surgery

The Location

Palmerston North (population: urban 80,000, regional 168,000) is recognised by the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network as an international safe community.

The Manawatu region attracts people from far and wide. There is a lot to offer families of all ages. Living here is affordable, with high quality housing and the primary,





secondary and tertiary education facilities have an excellent reputation. Massey University attracts international students with its variety of programmes in business, technology, sciences (including the only Vet school in NZ), agriculture and horticulture.

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants, and a wealth of sporting activities and community festivals, if you want to get involved. The commute to work is only 10-15 minutes from anywhere in the city.

If you prefer to live in a smaller township, just a 15 minute drive away from Palmerston North is Feilding, voted New Zealand’s most beautiful town 16 times, with its gorgeous gardens, Edwardian buildings, quiet neighbourhoods, and Farmers Markets at the weekends, it’s a great place to be based with a real sense of community.







Whether you decide to live in Palmerston North itself or Feilding, or any of the other small towns in the Manawatu region, the location in the middle of the North Island means you will be within easy driving distance of premier ski resorts at Turangi, Turoa and Whakapapa to the north, the lush Hawke’s Bay wine region to the east, clean and quiet unspoilt beaches (Himatangi, Foxton, Otaki) along the West Coast, and of course, to the South is NZ’s capital city of Wellington (2 hour drive).

What Head Medical can do for you

Arranging a position overseas is very exciting, but we understand that it can also be daunting and time consuming.





We’re the UK’s specialist in international medical recruitment and we’ve helped many Doctors relocate since we first started out in 2008 (you can read what people have said about working with us on our testimonials page). We know it’s important to balance career opportunities with lifestyle and we’ll talk through your plans and will get to know you to make sure we find the right role in the right location. Once we have secured a job for you, we’ll manage the Medical Registration and Visa application process, and support you (and your family) with the relocation itself.

▶️ Resident Doctor - Orthopaedics - Palmerston North
🖊️ Head Medical
📍 Te Ika-a-Māui / North Island