Next generation of medicos welcome in Townsville

Seventy-five interns with aspirations to impact their local community have commenced careers at intern doctors at Townsville University Hospital.

The 75 interns have joined the hospital and health service from universities across the country and will complete rotations in areas such as emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology and surgery.

The interns will also complete rural rotations in areas such as Ingham, Charters Towers and Palm Island.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service board chair Tony Mooney said the interns starting signalled the beginning of a challenging and rewarding year.

“It is exciting to welcome so many young and passionate doctors to the health service,” he said.

“These interns are beginning their careers at a time like no other with Queensland borders well and truly opened and cases of COVID-19 circulating in our community.

“With North Queensland’s only tertiary referral hospital here in Townsville, these doctors will receive an unprecedented experience that will provide the foundations for them to grow into exceptional doctors.

“It is also great to see 44 of the interns are from James Cook University, who are our partners in establishing Townsville as an international leader in tropical medicine.”

New intern Dr Candice Anderson said a family friend inspired her career in medicine.

“She always made medicine sound like a fun and rewarding career,” she said.

“I also shadowed a paediatrician in high school and just loved it.”

Dr Anderson said she was looking forward to commencing her career in medicine at Townsville University Hospital.

“At this stage I am surgically inclined; I always thought I would go into paediatrics but when I did my surgical rotation, I loved it.

“My intern year will consist of stints in obstetrics and gynaecology and orthopaedics; two fields I am interested in.”

Candice said she was also passionate about research.

“I did two research projects as part of my honours; one with Dr Yoga Kandasamy on home phototherapy for neonates with jaundice and one with Professor Ajay Rane on low urinary tract disfunction and glucose intolerance,” she said.

“It’s important to do research as if fills gaps in your knowledge and improve care for patients.”

Dr Anderson said she was delighted to be beginning her career as a intern at Townsville University Hospital.

“It’s a bit surreal to be doing something you always thought about doing when you were younger,” she said.

“I spent all my clinical years at Townsville University Hospital and know it quite well; it was the right choice for me for my internship. The facilities are really good with plenty of learning opportunities.”