CQ welcomes 37 new medical interns
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Thirty-seven new medical interns have arrived in Central Queensland clinics, including Gladstone and Rockhampton, in order to relieve overworked staff.
CQ Health welcomed the interns last week with the graduates primed and ready to start their careers in the region.
The new doctors did a week of intensive orientation at Rockhampton Hospital before setting
off to join clinical teams across the region.
Interns will do rotations across Rockhampton, Gladstone and Capricorn Coast hospitals, as well as general practice rotations at Emerald Medical Group and Theodore Medical Centre.
Three others will join the team later in the year, bringing the total number of 2021 interns to
40, up 36 from last year.
Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher congratulated the interns on taking the next exciting
steps in their medical careers.
“It’s a transformative time for health care in our region as we see the benefits of the
Palaszczuk Government’s rapid expansion of facilities and services across Central
Queensland,” Mr Butcher said.
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“I know that these new junior doctors will enjoy rewarding careers caring for our community.”
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath said the Queensland
Government would continue to deliver a strong health response to the global COVID-19
pandemic.
“A key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to ensuring that Queenslanders
continue to receive the best healthcare possible is supporting an additional 9475 frontline
health workers over the next four years,” Ms D’Ath said.
“This includes an additional 5800 nurses, 1500 new doctors and an extra 475 paramedics.
“I offer my congratulations to the new intern doctors and wish them all the best as they
embark on the next exciting step in their careers.”
Deputy executive director Medical Services Dr Annette Turley said it was an exciting time
for the young doctors as they put their years of studies into practice.
“We will ensure these graduates are well supported as they make the transition from life as
students to full-time staff members,” she said.
Hospital rotations cover several specialties including surgery, general medicine (including
subspecialties renal and cardiac), emergency, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology,
mental health and orthopaedics.
Dr Turley said Central Queensland was a great starting point for a doctor’s career and the interns would have a full year of interesting and varied clinical experiences.
“Doctors in regional hospitals, particularly our rural sites, benefit from plenty of hands-on
experience which is harder to find in larger city hospitals,” she said.
“We have a full training program to help support and mentor the interns in their first year.
“We also like to showcase some of the great lifestyle benefits to living in Central Queensland, in the hope these interns will fall in love with our area and want to stick around.
“We warmly welcome this new group of doctors and wish them every success.”
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