AMSA 2023 Internship Guide

NSW NEW GRAD
PERSPECTIVE
You’re almost at the finish line!
Whether studying medicine has represented five bewildering years post-high
school, a steady post-graduate grind, or a mid-life change in career, you are all
now very much on the victory lap of medical school. Congratulations are in order
for all the hard work it has taken for you to get to this point - you should feel
incredibly proud of your achievements.
If there’s one tip I can give to you as final year medical students, it’s to make the
most of this year. While you’re at placement and studying, do your best to learn
the basic procedures, clinical calls and processes that will make you a more
comfortable and confident new intern at the beginning of 2024. When you get
home, make the most of your free time. Catch up with friends, plan an awesome
pre-internship holiday, and cherish the time you have with a cohort that will
probably scatter around the state and country as you begin your career.
Internship can be an intimidating prospect at first, but it is fantastic to finally be
putting your hard-earned knowledge into practice while working closely with
patients and your colleagues, and the pay check doesn’t hurt either! There are
definitely times it gets tricky; long hours, interpersonal conflict, new stressful
situations all have the potential to stress you out and cause burnout. Take care of
yourself and your peers, ask for help when needed, and know that at the end of
the day that every difficult experience will help you learn to be a better, more wellrounded
clinician. In a few years time, those difficult, embarrassing, and
sometimes gross stories will be great things to laugh about with your friends.
New South Wales is a big place when it comes to internship, with 15 prevocational
training networks and 48 hospitals to choose from. For me, this was a source of
massive decision paralysis! If you’re stuck choosing between a few networks, I
recommend speaking to JMOs in those networks about their experience and the
work environment, looking at the AMA Hospital Health Check, and tuning into
network information nights. Ultimately the work itself will be relatively similar
everywhere, so what’s really important is finding a place things you value, like a
positive workplace culture, good staffing levels, and a variety of teaching
opportunities. You should also think about where you want to live, including
proximity to your family and friends.
Finally, please don’t fret about getting your first preference. There is more than
one good place to work in NSW, and wherever you go you will meet new people,
learn new things, and probably end up having a great time!
So again, congratulations, and best of luck to you as you move into the next stage
of your career. Take care of yourselves, your friends, and your colleagues, seize
opportunities when they present themselves, and enjoy the role! I’m sure you’ll
love it.
Dr Isaac Wade
JMO, Central Coast LHD (Network 7)