Why I Chose to Work Abroad as a Physician

Burnout is a reality for many of us in medicine. For years, I felt it creeping into my career, chipping away at my passion for a profession I once loved. I realized that if I didn’t make a change, I would lose more than my joy in medicine—I’d lose my sense of purpose.

That’s when I decided to break the mold. Instead of continuing down the traditional path—working 40+ hours a week, dreaming of retiring at 65, and traveling—I decided to leap. I relocated my family to Europe while maintaining my U.S. medical practice. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Living abroad has given me a fresh perspective on life and work. It’s shown me that you don’t have to wait until retirement to pursue the life you’ve always wanted. With careful planning and a willingness to take risks, you can create a career that sustains you financially and emotionally—while truly living in the moment.

If you’d like to read more about how I made this transition, I’ve shared my full story: “Burnout to Breakthrough: A U.S. Physician Living in Europe.”

For those of you wondering if this could be your path, too, I want to share the options I considered and the steps I took to create the life I dreamed of. I explored seven pathways as a U.S. physician looking to work and live abroad.

Part 1: Exploring the Pathways to a Global Medical Career

Once my family and I finally decided to move overseas, the critical question we had to answer was, “How do I continue to make money working as a physician while living overseas?”.

This is not a simple question to answer. Fortunately, after doing a ton of research, I found out there are multiple options for US physicians interested in working abroad. Here are a few.

Explore the Southern Hemisphere: Practice Medicine in New Zealand or Australia

New Zealand and Australia. – There are a lot of work options in these two countries. US-trained physicians can apply for medical registration (credentials) without additional exams in both countries.  However, this requires extensive paperwork and time to obtain the necessary registration, but fortunately, no further training is needed.  I found a few staffing agencies that work with physicians who specifically want to work in New Zealand or Australia.  They help with all aspects of the job, such as the registration process, the visa, and the move overseas.  Global Medical Staffing (gmedical.com) is one company I recommend if you want to learn more.

Serve While You Travel: Work on U.S. Military Bases Abroad

Department of Defense/Defense Health Agency.  You can practice medicine abroad on a US military base as a civilian employee of the US government. The US military has hospitals and clinics all over the world.  These facilities are staffed not only with active-duty military physicians but also with civilians.  You can find a job using the DHA website (civilianmedicaljobs.com).  A nice benefit of these jobs is that any state medical license can be used.  These jobs usually have excellent benefits (as with most government jobs) and will offer a pathway for the visa and relocation process. You would be surprised at how many options there are for physician jobs abroad through the DHA.

The Digital Nomad Doctor: Embrace Telemedicine While Abroad

Telemedicine/Telehealth.  Telemedicine jobs for traveling doctors are a hot topic in medicine for good reason.  There are lots of great options for remote work.  I know multiple traveling doctors who use telemedicine as their only source of income while abroad. From my personal experience and research, there is a large grey area regarding Telemedicine that can be utilized for the benefit of physicians wanting to practice Telehealth abroad.  I am keeping this section short on specifics as I am not an expert on the details, requirements, or regulations regarding the utilization of Telemedicine.  However, I know multiple providers who use telemedicine and find it quite lucrative (and surprisingly easy) as a means of income while traveling overseas.

Globally Impactful Careers: Work for U.S. Government Agencies

Other government agencies. Through government agencies like the Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are positions located worldwide to work as a physician.  Again, there will be excellent benefits, and they usually offer assistance with the visa process and relocation. Typically, any state license is accepted. Use the USAJobs website (USAjobs.gov) to search for available positions.

Humanitarian Healing: Join an International NGO

NGO (Non-Governmental Organization): Numerous NGOs provide medical care and humanitarian aid internationally.  These organizations are always in need of good physicians.  Some are paid positions, and others are unpaid.  Doctors without Borders, CARE International, HealthRight International, and Catholic Relief Services are a few examples. There are over 30,000 NGOs that rely on a mix of paid and unpaid employees to assist in providing care to underserved populations. One of my favorite NGOs is Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. 

Caring in Uniform: Opportunities with Medical Corps Programs

Join a Medical Corps: The US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (think US Surgeon General) is a uniformed nonmilitary service with a distinct uniform, insignia, titles, pay, benefits, and retirement protocols corresponding to those of the uniformed military services. The International Medical Corps also specializes in training local nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers to provide quality care long after a crisis has subsided, and it has options worldwide to assist.

A Commitment to Service: Join the U.S. Military

Join the United States military:  I am a veteran who served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and have worked at multiple military facilities.  The Health Professions Scholarship  (HPSP) was an excellent choice for me.  I did a 4 year scholarship with the U.S. Air Force, where my tuition was covered, and I received a monthly stipend while in school. I served 4 years of Active Duty and then chose to separate from the military after my obligation ended.  The U.S. government paid for my medical school, and I received some extremely valuable military experience.  But joining the military would be a bad idea if you simply hope to travel.  The locations abroad are coveted, and there is no guarantee that you will get stationed overseas (trust me, I tried!).  So my advice is to join the military if you are interested in serving your country (and you don’t mind the financial incentives).  But if you are just looking to travel, this is probably not the best option. 

Up next….

Part 2: The pathway I chose!

About the author

Dr. Benjamin E. Stone is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician with over 12 years of clinical experience. A Midwest native, he has served in private practice, held leadership roles as a Medical Director, and completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan during his time in the United States Air Force.
 

Driven by a passion for blending medicine and adventure, Dr. Ben recently took his family on a year-long journey across Europe while continuing his medical practice in the U.S. Through his experiences, he aims to inspire fellow physicians to reimagine their careers, escape burnout, and pursue life-changing opportunities.
 

When he’s not in the ER or traveling, Dr. Ben is the Director of Physician Engagement at Contract Diagnostics, where he helps physicians navigate the complexities of contracts and compensation to achieve their best outcomes.