Brain surgeon quits hospital job to work at Amazon warehouse

A former assistant brain surgeon earning a six-figure salary has revealed why she left the operating theatre for a job at an Amazon warehouse.

Helen Xu, 31, from Brisbane’s south, began her medical career in 2018, working as an assistant surgeon at a hospital in Queensland, reports Daily Mail on Sunday.

However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, her workload intensified, with shifts lasting up to 30 hours.

Without children or elderly relatives to care for, Xu found herself taking on extra shifts.

“There was a lot of pressure on those who didn’t have kids or elderly people at home to come in,” she explained, adding that her on-call status left her with little time to rest.

“For the last couple of months working in the hospital, I just wasn’t sure when I’d get enough rest.”

The demanding schedule took a toll, leaving Xu exhausted and with no time to see friends and family.

By September 2021, she decided to leave medicine behind. In an unexpected twist, she found herself drawn to Amazon after being impressed with their delivery efficiency during lockdown.

In October 2021, she took on a role as a casual warehouse associate, stacking shelves and preparing orders.

In the years since, Xu has climbed the ranks and is now a full-time operations shift manager.

She stated, “I’d never worked in anything like that before, but I was frequently ordering things off Amazon and thought, ‘Why do they deliver so much faster than other companies?’”

While assistant surgeon positions offer a base salary of around $113,792, according to Salary Expert, Ms Xu earns approximately $32 per hour at Amazon, working four to five shifts weekly when she started.

Despite the pay difference, she feels the trade-off is worth it. “In terms of how much time I now have for myself, it works out.”

Xu, who rents in Brisbane, says she is financially stable in her new role and has embraced the inclusive work culture at Amazon.

“It’s very different… the work culture is super inclusive. There’s no judgment of what your background is or experience. People are from all different walks of life… It’s really opened my mind.”

As for returning to the operating theatre, Xu has “no plans to go back to the hospital.”

Her career shift coincides with Amazon’s hiring spree, with 600 seasonal positions available across Australia ahead of the Christmas season.