Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Interns Boost Mackay Medical Team

“They’re not only bolstering our workforce and making a real difference to our patients today, but they’re building the foundations of medical careers which will serve our community and Queensland for decades to come.”

Caption: Mackay Base Hospital has welcomed 37 intern doctors

A group of 44 intern doctors have joined the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS), providing a boost to the medical team serving the region.

The intern group includes 37 doctors who are joining the team at Mackay Base Hospital, five at Proserpine Hospital and two at Bowen Hospital.

Interim Chief Executive Melissa Carter congratulated the new doctors on starting their journey in medicine and welcomed them to the Mackay HHS team.

“It’s exciting to welcome first-year doctors to our team and support them as they begin their career with the Mackay HHS,” Ms Carter said.

“They’re not only bolstering our workforce and making a real difference to our patients today, but they’re building the foundations of medical careers which will serve our community and Queensland for decades to come.

“Several of our intern doctors have already spent time with our team as medical students and, after positive experiences, have chosen to come back for the start of their career.

“Regardless of where their careers take them, they will develop strong foundations for the years ahead from the guidance of our experienced, dedicated and highly skilled team of Mackay HHS medical professionals.”

Thirty-two of the first-year doctors are from the Queensland Health program, six from the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway and six from the Commonwealth-funded Junior Doctor Training Program.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Charles Pain said the interns will benefit from Mackay HHS’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere, its supportive medical culture and their broad exposure to a wide range of clinical cases.

“The interns will gain invaluable clinical experience during their first year as doctors, which will enable them to develop advanced skills as a foundation for their future medical careers,” Dr Pain said.

“Their diverse placements and experience in the MHHS will also help them make an informed choice when it comes to which speciality they wish to pursue in their future careers.

“Last year 21 interns stayed in Mackay HHS for their second year, which indicates to us how much they appreciated Mackay and valued the experience they obtained here.

“Our hope is that by providing excellent training experiences, many of our 2023 interns will also choose to build their future careers in the Mackay region.”

Student Placement Brings Dr Chamberlain Back To Mackay

Positive experiences as a student on placement at Mackay Base Hospital and his desire to become a general practitioner in a regional centre led to Dr Michael Chamberlain choosing to return as an intern.

Originally from Rockhampton, where his mother is a general practitioner, Michael studied at James Cook University in Townsville and returned to Mackay Base Hospital where he previously spent time on student placement.

“Comparatively I knew that this would be a very safe choice and being here just makes the start of my year easier,” Michael said.

“I think knowing that particularly the education support was really good and knowing people seem to be really happy here is what enticed me here as well.

Michael is joined in Mackay by his wife, who is a speech pathologist in private practice.

“Practicing in regional areas is definitely something I want to do long term - we don’t particularly like big cities and I’m less inclined to rural or remote practice, but regional practice is very appealing to me as I really like the lifestyle.”

Though he was exposed to life as a general practitioner through his mother, Michael said he didn’t always want to practice medicine.

“Growing up I didn’t really want to be a doctor, but by the end of my schooling I decided it was probably a good fit and then the more I looked into it, the more I liked it.”

Michael said an important consideration for choosing Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) was the inclusion of general practitioner placement in the internship, which is rarely offered to first year doctors.

“Regional general practice would be ideal for me - you do really get to know the community more than you think and growing up in a regional town with similar size I definitely felt that, and I also really like being able to have a steady patient base,” he said.

“A big drawcard to Mackay HHS was the general practice rotation as it was something that I was pretty excited to do.”

While he is working towards general practice, Michael said he was looking forward to his rotations across all areas and the supportive environment within the Mackay HHS team.

“Everyone seems to be very well supported and happy, so I think I’m most looking forward to practising and learning in a very safe environment,” he said.

“I think another benefit for Mackay studying here and then staying on was that we already had a support network of people not just from the hospital, but also out in the community.

“I’m definitely looking forward to improving my knowledge and getting into a routine.”

Michael added that the Mackay lifestyle was a bonus whether it was heading to Eungella or enjoying a nearby beach or simply gardening at their home.

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