Welcome Dr Scott Schieber

Gisborne is the perfect fit for the surf-loving California native who, with wife Kate and two of their four children, moved to New Zealand in June, 2018.

That's great news for Three Rivers Medical Centre, which has secured the services of a doctor with a career-long speciality in family medicine.

“In the United States family medicine is its own speciality with specific training, and that aligns nicely with the ideals of general practice in New Zealand,” he says.

“It is something I was always drawn to, largely because of those special relationships you can develop with patients over a period of time.”

That is a commitment Scott – a Medical College of Ohio graduate (1994) – has applied for the last two decades at the West Hills Healthcare Clinic, in Oregon.

And it is something he will continue when he eventually takes over the register of Three Rivers Dr Murray Smith, who retires later this year after more than 40 years of practice.

Until then, he will work the general roster at Three Rivers, while he and his family adjust to their new home.

As a licensed pilot with an interest in sports from surfing and snowboarding to triathlons and tree climbing, Scott will be making the most of the outdoor opportunities in and around Gisborne.

“We've been to New Zealand before – in fact, my wife and I came for our 40^th birthdays – but what really sparked the move was talking to other doctors about achieving a better balance in life,” he says.

“Here, we get to work in this wonderful community and have the ocean right on our doorstep. It's amazing.”