TAMWORTH hospital has cemented its position as a top medical training facility, with a registrar winning an emergency medicine prize.
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Registrar Kimberly Poole was awarded the Buchanan Prize for top marks in her emergency medicine fellowship exam, which more than half of candidates don’t pass.
“It’s been a long time since someone from NSW has won it, so it’s a big deal for Tamworth,” Dr Poole said.
“Our last four candidates have all passed, but less than half pass.”
Dr Poole said she knew people who were great doctors and had deep medical knowledge yet they still struggled to get through the exam. Once she found out she had passed, she thought it would be great if she knew the person who’d won the prize.
Dr Poole knew the winner very well.
“I was just hoping I would know the person who won the Buchanan Prize. I’m just over the moon,” she said.
“I worked fulltime and studied 40 hours every week and was so relieved to pass.”
Dr Poole paid tribute to those who helped her pass the exams.
“Pete (Dr May) and the bosses have been spending time with me, donating their time, giving me practice exams, and the patients have donated their time,” she said.
“Staff here have dedicated a lot of their time imparting their knowledge to help me become wiser.”
The director of emergency medicine training at Tamworth hospital, Dr Peter May, said Dr Pool’s result was gratifying.
Dr May said registrars trained in Tamworth because of the reputation the hospital had.
“Regional centres like Tamworth can provide great training for young doctors,” he said.
“It is our experience that Tamworth’s reputation for excellence in teaching increases the likelihood of quality health professionals working, learning and staying in the region.”
Dr Poole’s passion lies in equality in healthcare and she is heading to Nepal in August to support trainees taking part in a new program to develop emergency medicine as a speciality.
She’s also worked in India previously.
Dr Poole said she and her partner, a British-trained emergency doctor, planned to return to work in Tamworth because they both loved the area.