Advice for a Dr thinking about a job in the Caymans please!

Hi Everyone,

I'm a UK hospital Dr that has been offered a job in the Caymans public
hospital. I know almost nothing about the Caymans apart from it being
a british colony, a tax haven, in the caribbean, population of 43,000
and was hit by hurricane Ivan last year.

To help me decide whether to take up the job offer I would be very
grateful for some honest advice and answers to any of the following
questions.

1. i heard that many senior drs had quit the health service after the
hurricane - is this true, and why did they leave?

2. i've heard the Caymans has a serious problem in recruiting and
retaining hospital Dr's - considering the carribean
lifestyle/weather/tax free salary this seems surprising - why is
this??

3. what is the standard of healthcare like in the Caymans?


4. What is the cost of living like in the Caymans eg what is the
- average salary
- average monthly rental cost for an average furnished 3 bedroom
house/flat near the hospital
- average cost of a restaurant meal in a family restaurant

5. Is there a very great shortage of long-term rental accomodation
after the hurricane?

6. Is it possible to get calling cards which allow cheap international
phone calls to the UK? - how much does it cost per minute to call the
UK?

7. what sort of leisure activities are there available for residents
who do not like sunbathing/water sports?

8. How common is island fever? - i imagine life would get very boring
very quickly on a small island - is this wrong?

9. What are the forecasts/predictions regarding the likelihood of
further serious hurricanes in the short/medium-term future?

10. What is life generally like for UK expats in the Caymans (good and
bad stuff please)?

Thanks for any advice you can give me

Sam

1. One presumes you've been there. If not, all questions should be
withdrawn until you do so.
2. If you have no concept of difference between England and Cayman
Islands in terms of size, economy, climate, culture, etc...then you
should perhaps take a few months off to travel and learn about the world.
3. The word Island applies. An island is small and can often be explored
on a bicycle in one day. That should tell you something.
4. An Island often is mostly populated by visitors from ships or
airplanes who don't gave a good hoot about the local situtation. I can't
think of a worse land mass to live on, except Miami or LAX.

Former TA in MN.

What a pleasant, courteous reply. If that's the way you talked to your
clients, I'm not surprised it's "former" TA.

Salty Sam

I didn't know Miami and LAX were islands.
I guess if one lives long enough that too might come to pass. But as of
now I dont think it is so

SUNNY

S'nd I
XXX

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