Rural Health Medicine Specialist/Rural Generalist - Oamaru Hospital

Rural Health Medicine Specialist/Rural Generalist - Oamaru Hospital
Oamaru Hospital
Salary: ASMS MECA 2024 (NZD 185,380 - 267,980)
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we're building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence. As Oamaru Hospital has recently transitioned to be part of a Health New Zealand Hospital, we are now seeking an additional two RHM Specialists or Rural Generalists to build our team as we partner with the community to transform health care provisions to the Waitaki community

About us


Ōamaru Hospital is a Rural Hospital three hours south of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand and 90 minutes north of Dunedin. We are seeking a

Rural Hospital Medicine (RHM) Specialist or
Dual trained RHM/FACEM or
FACEM with rural hospital experience
Rural GP with ED and ward experience
Urgent care specialist with rural hospital experience
Ōamaru Hospital is situated in the Waitaki District/North Otago. It has an Acute Care Area which includes Emergency Department and observation stabilisation beds; a 20-bed inpatient unit; diagnostics including laboratory, CT, Ultrasound and X-Ray; Primary Birthing Unit; Allied Health; and a range of Outpatient and Community Services. Those who require urgent specialist care are transferred by road or helicopter to Invercargill or Dunedin. In these roles, you will be well supported as there is a close working relationship already established with colleagues from both sites as well with St Johns, the Otago Trust Rescue Helicopter and the Dunedin ICU Retrieval service to navigate patient transfers. Our in-patient ward constitutes a mix of general medicine, geriatrics, non-operative surgical, rehabilitation medicine and palliative care. All clinicians contribute to education and supervision.

As part of Health NZ Southern there are a number of opportunities to link in with new models of care for the Waitaki community in partnership with the community and Waitaki Health Futures Project, the wider Southern Health System and the University of Otago. There are also opportunities to work in primary care.

About you


You will need to be a Fellow of the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (FDRHM) with an interest and experience in Emergency medicine, or a dual trained RHM/FACEM or FACEM with an interest and experience in rural hospital medicine, or a GP with rural hospital medicine experience. Ideally, you will have a postgraduate qualification in Point of Care Ultrasound. You will be comfortable working flexibly with our small team of excellent nurses and allied health professionals and be keen to help us develop services as we grow.


About Oamaru

Located on the Pacific Ocean coast this town is renowned for its Victorian Heritage, Steam Punk and the “little blue penguins”.

Oamaru is close to a number of world-class ski fields, has numerous lakes for sailing, boating and fishing within 1-2 hours reach and is the final destination on the famous Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail – the cycle trail that takes riders from Aoraki Mount Cook to the Pacific Ocean.


About Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness'. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, ****** orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are a pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on providing equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disabled Community.


Salary range

This role belongs to the ASMS Collective Agreement and falls between the Step 1 ($185,380) and Step 15 ($267,980 per annum pro rata).


How to Apply

To view the position description and/or apply for the role please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before 11:59pm on 28 May 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Agatha Chen, Recruitment Advisor – Senior Medical Officers at agatha.chen@tewhatuora.govt.nz.

Please note, we will be reviewing applications when received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.

Please note at this time we will not be accepting any CVs from agencies. If CVs are sent without any prior agreement with the Recruitment Manager, this will be deemed unsolicited, and we will not accept them nor the responsibility for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.


Pre-Employment checks


In the interests of protecting our people and our patients, all appointments will be subject to:

Occupational Health Assessment
Police Vetting / Ministry of Justice safety checks
Serious misconduct checks (previous Public Service departments and statutory Crown entities only)