Life of a doctor in UK vs Australia
Professional Life
Despite less work hours and less work in general, compared to the UK, one might find it slightly more difficult to adjust to the Australian health care system in the beginning. This is because Australia has far less IMGs compared to the UK and hence colleagues might not be aware of the challenges that come up during the process of transition, thereby being less supportive. That said, nothing should be difficult if you have a sound knowledge base and good clinical skills.
Considering that Australia is a smaller country than UK in terms of population, naturally there are less training spots making it highly competitive to get into training. Also the process of getting into training is not as well structured as UK. However, local experience and local contacts are highly valued and it is your quality of work/ experience/ethics that will help you get a training spot. Once you have local experience, you are evaluated at par with any local graduate. I was able to successfully secure of training position within 6 months of starting work in Australia.
Once you become a consultant, Australia offers more flexibility and power to chose what you want to do, especially if you work in the private sector. The more you work, the more money you make. I personally know consultants who work long hours, but make great money (Read over 1 million AUD an year!) in return.
Personal Life
The work-life balance that Australia offers is probably the best in the world. 38 hour work week means one has lots of free time to themselves. It is not uncommon for doctors to have hobbies like camping, trekking, fishing or playing a musical instrument. Furthermore, Australia enjoys a warm weather round the year, which means you can spend most of your time outdoors/ basking in the sun- a major difference compared to the UK. For me, being able to enjoy life outdoors/ try new hobbies is a massive advantage, especially given that I live alone.
For people coming from the tropical/ sub-tropical countries, another major advantage is the easy availability of cheap, locally grown tropical fruits and vegetables- be it mangoes, guava, custard apples or different species of gourd. I personally enjoy having the same kind of food here in Oz as that back home.
IMGs (and immigrants in general) are able to maintain closer ties with parents and siblings considering the ease of long term visa availability for parents as well as the option of sponsoring visas for siblings. Almost every doctor that I know of, who has lived in this country for more than 10 years has had their parents move to Australia permanently.
Average Australian houses are larger compared to the UK. Most houses have a huge backyard and a pool- in keeping with the outdoor lifestyle.
As mentioned in my other posts, you earn a lot more in Australia compared to UK. Earnings will rise exponentially once you become a consultant and have your own private practise.