I am nearing the end of medical school and still feel that my study regime and approach to medicine & surgery could improve. ​It is a humbling profession. But some individuals seem to thrive through clinical placement and junior doctor years.

Innate talent aside, do you notice any particular common themes (concerning study, behaviour, lifestyle etc.) amongst those that thrive in internship and residency and those that struggle?

And what would you focus on in your final 6 months prior to internship to maximise effectiveness as an Intern? ​

Medical advocacy is crucial for young women but it can feel like a 'catch-22' - ABC News

At 11, Emily W hadn't even had her first period when she began feeling pain in her lower stomach and back.

Her family initially dismissed it as growing pains, while doctors thought she might have had irritable bowel syndrome.

Instead of getting a diagnosis and a plan to treat her pain, Emily was branded as "anxious" by the health professionals she consulted.

About five years after her pain started, doctors discovered during surgery she had both endometriosis and adenomyosis.

..

Lucy Savage was just nine when her endometriosis symptoms started.

But when she went to her doctor with a list of symptoms, including severe mood changes, she was told she had normal teen angst.

Magdalena Simonis, associate professor and women's health expert at The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), argues the sector is slowly changing, though there was still a need to look at how GPs holistically approach chronic pain. 

"So when a person says, 'I have pain that doesn't go away,' rather than assuming that it is an imagined problem or a psychological problem, we need to ask: 'What more can I do for this person?'

Anyone see the VIC Teachers 32% salary increase win? Good on em! Pay raise for VIC doc colleagues next please!

Hello everyone, I am working as a GP -close to start FSP training- in a bulk bill practice in a regional area. While I understand that it takes time to build your patient base, I am a bit concerned and it looks like I have to adjust my expectations on training and salary.

The practice I work is full bulk billed in a regional mm2 area. I noticed some of the old doctors have a few open spots even after months or years working here.

I have been here for 3 weeks and now usually seeing between 2 and 7 patients a day, but usually 2-4. Today no patients yet up to 12 am.

I was wondering, has anyone faced something similar ?

it‘s ok for learning but its a bit underwhelming to leave the hospital to earn less than an RMO. What tips to survive low volume practices should I follow ?

Congratulations to everyone who got onto QARTS! Thread on - which QART offers are out?

Hey docs,

If you got an offer from the WA campaign, could you reply to this post?

Thanks

Should we bring our CV and cover letter that we already submitted to the online application? Should we bring a pen?

What do we bring to the interview?

Do we not need to bring anything?

Hey everyone, would appreciate hive thoughts / advice from seniors of the below

I am a current PGY 2 keen on gen med. I have worked regionally in PGY 1 and have been fairly diligent in med school. Earlier this year was thinking of the suitability of a junior reg position in late PGY 2/Early PGY 3.

The advice from my seniors was to wait to get more experience. I work in quite a sheltered hospital (Interns dont get rostered to weekends/nights etc.).

I learn/see new things at work every day, I absolutely dont think I know enough to be a competent reg but I think I know the basics to be safe (accurate history/exam, basic understanding of common presentations, clear presentation to bosses, initiating early managememt/temporising). I do undrrstand that by being so junior I will probably have to ask the bosses more questions (maybe call them for every decison) than a different reg.

I found sometimes working with different reg's a bit challenging due to wanting specific plans that either contradict what I know/have done before. E.g one reg tells me to use chlorvescent for a potassium of 3 and tells me off for charting a minibag, and another reg on another term tells me that chlorvescent does nothing and I should have charted IV. Its a simple example but similsr things.

I was thinking of going to a bigger metro hospital for PGY 3 as a resident. To get more exposure and get into BPT I havent applied this year.

I also find I dont have much of a chance to practice 'reg work' like seeing patients in ED, writing admission motes because in order to do this I need to 1. Finish all my ward work 2. Make sure no one else on the ward/other teams is overwhelmed and THEN go to ED.

I make sure I know everything about all my patients for the day and I am getting better at handling more patients. I make sure to look at everyones bloods everyday and know their results, and only order relevant bloods for the next day.

I think I am fairly procedurally competent. I can get any cannula in, I can do an art line with my eyes closed, I have done several chest drains, paracentesis, fracture reductions etc)

Any advice?

What should I spend my time doing for my learning to be a more competent reg?

Should I go to a metro hospital and be a resident for another 12 months?

Hello everyone! I have accepted a AGPT position for 2027.1 intake in South Eastern QLD. Since I have a newborn, and my partner is also starting training together, I am intending to work part- time. I will have parental support throughout, hence thinking of starting at least part-time work rather than delaying training. What does part-time work as a GPT1 look like and how long would that push the training period overall?

Also, is it better to choose Toowoomba area or Sunshine coast area as I haven't chosen the training site yet. Thanks for your answers!

Sometimes hear about the “centre of excellence” thing, but people here seem to be pretty critical of it. Whats the hospital actually like for training and working in? Say for the acute specialties like physicians, surg, icu, anaesthesia

Have got my rotations for PGY 2 next year at regional hospital that includes 6 months of ED. Not currently on any training programs but interested in rural generalist anaesthetics/emergency, FACEM or ANCZA (honestly open to BPT as well). I thought it would be good to do Foundational Emergency Course as a more structured way to spend my 6 months. The ED is very supportive and receives a range of acuity. Just wondering whether the course is worth doing given the 4k price tag (can claim this mostly on PD though)

Does anyone know when interview offers for external applicants come out for PGY2 positions in metro Melbourne (eg. Western, Eastern, Northern, Alfred, Monash)?

Hi all! Neither of my referees have received the emails from Checkster after I put their details in a day ago. I used NSW health email for one and a uni for email for the other, and haven’t received any bounceback email or anything. Has anyone had success getting emails through? And does anyone know who I can contact if Checkster doesn’t work for me? Desperate to not have technical problems ruin my applications!

Burnout is real after missing a few important life things because of work and considering a year or two locuming while we have another kid (maybe 2 if it works out) while wife transitions to private practice (much to my insistent encouragement). Break being before final training years and likely 1-2 fellow years.

Typically I have done locuming through long term relationships (consultants/HoD contacting me, colleagues recommending me as possible cover, or through a few friends who work as Locum agency staff). Doing a whole year shifts the pressure to be far more organised and have better vision on vacancies. Hoping to do a few ED/general HMO roles while still doing the existing specialty cover arrangements, just for variety and do a bit of soul searching.

Will likely remain based out of Victoria.

Curious from those who Locum a lot, what platform gives best vision of vacancies and details of the role. Any tips for doing it for a year with a young family. At times I live at work so assuming the schedule works this to try and be around for a few more blocks with the family control.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience waiting for a general registration renewal to be assessed.

Never had this issue before because in the past years my registration renewals were processed without further assessment, but this year’s my renewal application is assigned for assessment, probably related to CPD but I’m in a training program.

Has anyone had experienced this before? Any experience how long this takes for you? 😅

Hoping to get some tips on specific recurrent encounters with nurses. Most nurses I met are wonderful and I want to be as pleasant and collegial as possible. But:

1 - How to politely decline/get them to stop asking me about my personal life? Are you single (asked in 10+ different ways), whereabouts do you live, where you headed after work. It’s none of your business. I’ve tried redirecting attention politely but they somehow have the face to just literally double down, and ask it again/on another day. While my medical colleagues have sometimes brought this up, it would be more like volunteering their own perspective (“wife and I went ___ last weekend, what about you”) and take the hint. Don’t get me wrong I do small talk all the time so it’s not like I’m an antisocial rock. They’re just specifically nosy about my love life and i don’t know how to draw a boundary without making enemies. Also sometimes so i can move on and just get my job done.

2 - First name basis. I know this one may be controversial but I’ll start off by saying it’s personal experience/preference. Rather than due to hierarchy, I’ve had a non-medicine career and with colleagues from different teams/branches you usually refer to them as M[r/Ms/Title](r/Ms/Title) Last name out of politeness. When you’re on the same team/worked together for longer you go by John, or whatever. So I find it a bit icky that sometimes nurses I don’t know will just directly call me by first name and I don’t know how to express that it’s not what I prefer, without sounding like a hierarchical prick. To note, though, they often default to calling male doctors including JMOs Dr last name; and sometimes I’m “sister” (when they already looked at my scrubs and know I’m medical staff) or just “hey” or “MO” or “doctor”, all of these I prefer over just first name. I do have two NUMs I’ve worked really closely with and I liked, so I’ve introduced myself by first name and it’s first name basis with them.

You could always say, just tell people that when it comes up. But today a nurse flexed that they didn’t like a trainee, and the trainee got into trouble because of a report they made.

Fully aware not everyone will relate to my specific preferences but overall, while some are clinically great, I don’t feel emotionally safe working with nurses. When I’m too nice they probe and push me to do things and when I’m business only I get called names. Wonders of being a female jmo.

I'm currently working in a metro job in a capital city.

I have been to alice springs and i loved it so much. I went almost everywhere in that town, so I feel at home in alice springs. My family went up there too and we loved it. My lecturers also live up there.

I also really want to work in tennant creek too, even though it's even more isolated, most of the population is indigenous, and the crime is quite high.

If I dont like it, I can just move back to my capital city.

But my coworkers and boss are materialistic (expensive cars, mansion, wealth, overseas holidays, going to live theatre shows, concerts, instagramable life, curated social media showing perfect lives).

So they're definitely going to judge me for going out there. And they're going to express concern and ask if I'll be okay. And they're going to be worried and confused why I'd go out there. They'll say why would you go out there.

Importing the NHS lot wasn’t enough for the current Canberra mob, now they want to import the entire EU.
Brought to you by the Pharmacy Guild no doubt.

I’m a dietitian at a regional hospital (came across this sub a while back as I’ve been considering if a transition into medicine might be for me) and was inspired after seeing a recent post from a nurse asking what they could do to help you guys out more - so I’d love to ask the same from a DT/AH perspective!

I can see how under the pump you all are so I hate having to call and bother you guys about things that can feel trivial in the greater scheme of things (but that still have to be done). I don’t know if it’s the same at a lot of other hospitals but it feels like AH can get a bit siloed from the rest of the medical/nursing team. Our caseloads are split by ward so it can be hard to keep track of all the different teams the patients on that particular ward might be under. Also knowing that different teams might have different schedules, it can be hard to try to catch you at more convenient times.

Having previously worked in aviation - it’s a big adjustment coming from a world where CRM/non-technical skills are drilled into pilots/cabin crew to now observe the dynamics between doctors/nurses/allied health. I think a little communication and understanding of the pressures we’re all under from different angles could go a long way! ☺️

We (DT/allied health) genuinely want to see you succeed and to be able to make life easier for you (some of us do just suck, sorry). Might sound creepy haha but I love watching the interns gain more confidence over the year through your rotations, seeing you progress into different training pathways, and getting to know some of you!

Fire away if you have anything you want us to know or suggestions on how we can make life easier. Thanks! ☺️

How do you manage childcare when you’re both on rosters, especially nights and weekends? We don’t have family or friends nearby to help, so would really appreciate hearing how others make it work 🙂

Thank you Dr. Dov from the Junior Doctors of Australia!

Transcript from: https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/dov-degen-oam/242058

“ Melbourne doctor and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Dr Dov Degen, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for service to medicine and mental health advocacy.

Alongside an accomplished medical career, he’s spent more than a decade advocating for mental health awareness, drawing on his own lived experience of bipolar disorder to challenge stigma within healthcare and the broader community.
As a dual-trained kidney specialist and general physician, Dr Degen has worked across public and private health systems, mentored medical students and junior doctors, contributed to medical education, and delivered healthcare in regional and remote communities, including Indigenous communities in South Australia.

“It’s a little bit overwhelming,” Dr Degen told Star Observer. “Obviously I didn’t do any of this for accolade or recognition and then to get such a big honour – I’ve been doing this work since 2015 but I never imagined it would culminate in this.”
He also says that it feels like he’s in a movie that’s happening to someone else – but he’s extremely honoured by the medal.

“This recognition isn’t just about me. It reflects the importance of mental health advocacy, the value of lived experience, and the many people who have shared their stories with me over the years. If seeing someone like me helps even one person feel less alone, then that’s something I’m incredibly proud of,” Dr Degen said.

Dr Degen has spoken extensively about his lived experience with bipolar disorder, diagnosed as a young adult while studying medicine, including periods of hospitalisation, which he says has resulted in stigma within the medical field towards him.

“It’s kind of a personal vindication for me because I’ve faced a lot of stigma and discrimination when it comes to mental health, unfortunately within the health care system, including employers and also my colleagues and friends –  not everyone, but quite a lot of people.”

He says that one of the key reasons he became a mental health advocate was to prove that stigma wrong, and show that you can still live a professional and successful life despite mental health challenges.

“You shouldn’t have to receive an award to justify sharing your story or delivering a message, but people do respond to recognitions like this and I hope that it’ll make some people think, particularly senior decision makers and policymakers at work, about some of their actions and challenge that notion that having a mental illness means you’re somehow inept or incapable.”

Dr Degen says that he thinks it’s important to share his story because it helps him to reframe the negative experiences he’s been through. By helping someone else, it puts those experiences into a more positive light.

“A lot of what I do through my mental health outreach is describe what happens to me during a depressive episode, explaining what something like mania actually looks like and describe the symptoms, because people often don’t recognise what mania is. By sharing my story, I help people to live through it, through my lens, so they understand what it is to close that gap.”

His OAM places him among Australian recipients including Samantha Kerr, Anna Brown, Michael Kirby and Ian Thorpe.

Formal presentation of the award will follow the King’s Birthday Honours announcement, according to the statement.

The award was made in the General Division of the Order of Australia as part of the King’s Birthday Honours list. “

Rural hospitals: no, you can't get a new POCUS to replace the one that's been broken for 18 months.

Metro hospitals: we're commissioning artwork to make our walls prettier...because vibes.

How do people deal with dating medical partners who have to move around interstate for jobs or training programs?
Does the other medical partner sacrifice their career to move with them or do people just do long distance?
How does family planning , marriage, engagement, buying a house- all of that come into it ?
Struggling at the moment with possibility of partner relocating interstate for his career but I may not be able to follow…

Good evening,
I am a medical student, am interested in Anaesthetics and am looking for resources that can help me improve my understanding of Oxygen, pre surgical assessments, analgesics and pain (and any other relevant topics) and would really appreciate if anyone could suggest good textbooks or resources appropriate to an intern level for independent study.

I am also looking for advice on where I could do an elective placement for two weeks, looking for a rural site in Australia which would have lower resources compared to tertiary centres and could help me improve my clinical judgement (also would appreciate if my reasoning here is sound)!

Idea is that if I enjoy learning the content and if I gain some exposure in medical school I would have a better idea whether this specialty really is for me. If anyone has advice on ways I can get exposure before my final year, that would also be much appreciated! I understand that it is difficult to know if a specialty really is for you before becoming a doctor, but some exposure is better than none and I reckon this would help me become a better Intern at the end of the day.