NHS Grampian has embarked on a global recruitment drive to bring permanent medical staff to Aberdeen.
Consultancy jobs are being advertised in South Africa, New Zealand and Poland in an effort to reduce spending on locum workers.
Senior psychiatry positions are also being advertised in Australia, Germany and India.
Figures show the board has spent £4million on temporary cover since June this year.
North-east Labour MSP Richard Baker said the recruitment situation had become “desperate”.
NHS Grampian said it was working “extremely hard” to attract permanent staff and that international advertising was essential given the small pool of highly-skilled medical staff in the UK.
A spokeswoman added: “Anyone employed in any discipline or grade by the NHS must have the proper qualifications to do the job.”
“Consultants from overseas must have full registration with a licence to practice from the General Medical Council.”
Meanwhile, interviews have taken place to find a new chairman for NHS Grampian.
It follows the resignation of Bill Howatson in October amid concerns that the board had failed to control a number of issues at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “An announcement on the successful candidate will be made in due course.”
Non-executive members of the board have undergone refresher training on their duties to hold NHS executives to account.
It comes after a major report by Healthcare Improvement Scotland found members had been unaware of significant problems with the emergency department at ARI and poor training for young doctors.