Monash Health has welcomed 125 junior doctors taking up medical internships starting in January, which recorded the largest-ever cohort of medical interns.
Interns will be placed at Monash Medical Centre, Dandenong, and Casey hospitals across an array of units, including General Medicine, Mental Health, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Urology, and Palliative Care.
They will be put through their paces in emergency departments, and surgical and medical wards, in the next stage of their training to become registered medical practitioners.
Over five terms, they will rotate through a variety of units, spending 10 to 13 weeks in each.
Deakin University graduate and new Monash Health intern Hinal Patel was inspired to take up a career in medicine by her uncle, who worked in healthcare in poorer communities in India.
“I saw the impact he made on patients – they were very comfortable with him,” she said.
Hinal will start her internship in General Surgery at Monash Medical Centre and is looking forward to all the rotations that will follow.
“I’m most looking forward to the entirety of the year – the process of growing my knowledge over that time. They say it grows exponentially,” she said.
Another 2024 intern, Wing Kei Peony Chan will start her internship in the Mental Health Unit at Monash Children’s Hospital.
After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy and then a Doctor of Medicine at Monash University, Monash Health was first on her list for an internship.
“I chose Monash Health because they have a paediatric emergency rotation, which [is] super appealing to me,” she said.
Peony set her sights on a career in medicine after her grandpa’s death.
“I was very touched by how he was treated, and understanding the desperation of being a family member, I wanted to be there for others who might go through the same thing.”
Monash Health’s commitment to reserving positions for international students was also an attractive feature to Peony, who came from Hong Kong to Australia to study.
“My plan for the moment is to continue my career in Australia and see where that takes me,” she said.
Acting chief executive of Monash Health Martin Keogh said the experience would provide opportunities to integrate into different medical settings and provide a solid foundation at the start of their careers.
“Working at Monash Health is a calling for many of our people – an opportunity to provide safe, high-quality care and make a real difference,” he said.
Medical education officer and intern lead Karen Yates said it would be a challenging, but rewarding year for the interns.
“They are fully supported by Monash Doctors Workforce and Monash Doctors Education to ensure they reach their full potential,” she said.
