AMSA 2023 Internship Guide

VIC NEW GRAD
PERSPECTIVE
Throughout medical school, senior students and junior doctors always invariably state
that final year will be the best year of the entire degree. As a newly graduated Monash
student, I cannot help but echo this sentiment. Final year is the best year of medical
school - so enjoy yourself!
I am sure many of you are apprehensive about the upcoming internship match. The lowkey
stress of trying to impress your consultant during ward rounds, staying long hours on
the wards, and generally trying to learn how to do the mundane paperwork of an intern
can seem more overwhelming than memorising paediatric buzz-words or DSM-5 criteria
for every psychiatric illness. But let me put your fears at bay with a few simple tips for how
to get through the PMCV match process.
Firstly, references. This is the part over which you have the least control. So if you are a
Type A personality like myself, this will also be the most stressful part of the process. The
simplest approach is to be genuinely interested in the work that you are doing as a
student, and be attentive and kind throughout your placements. Your focus should be on
asking questions, engaging with the team, and offering to assist with appropriate intern
jobs. Do not set yourself the goal of staying long days - just stay as long as feels natural to
complete your assigned tasks for the day, and tag along to any interesting cases or
procedures as you see fit.
Secondly, cover letters. The bottom line is to start as early as possible. Start now. Write
iteration after iteration after iteration until you capture the essence of your personal story.
Who are you? What defines you from other medical students? Give personal anecdotes,
adding in details about your personal interests or unique experiences.
Finally, your hospital preference list. This list is personal, and should reflect your values. For
me, this included: being able to live in the city; good career progression within my field of
interest; and working in an environment with a supportive culture. For some, the greater
hands-on experience offered by rural hospitals is more enticing; others prefer a smaller
healthcare service that implies a close-knit community; many students choose the
familiarity of returning to the system at which they completed the majority of their
placements; and there are those who prioritise locations that are close to home. It is
completely subjective.
Ultimately, however, the hospital at which you intern will eventually become just as
arbitrary as the ATAR you attained at the end of highschool. When the match results are
released, every group chat will explode with questions about where each of you will go -
just as fresh medical students comparing high school subject scores - but it honestly will
not matter in the long term. The core skill of being a doctor is being flexible and adapting
to any new team or any new environment – every experience is what you make of it.
So enjoy this final year of medical school. Enjoy the lack of responsibility; the freedom of
minimal study; the authority and wisdom you command over junior medical students.
And most importantly, make plans for your three month holiday at the end of the year!!
Dr Amy Sylivris
Royal Melbourne Hospital