AT ONE point they dreamt of being doctors and with that bridge crossed, 18 new hospital interns are daring to dream big.
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Tamworth hospital has expanded its junior medical officer program investing in additional graduates in 2018, and while there’s still years of training ahead, newly minted doctor Joanna Noakes hopes to bridge gaps in rural health.
“It gives you a sense of purpose working somewhere that access is an issue,” Dr Noakes said.
Helping in Aboriginal communities is also a goal for the young doc.
“Being a Gomeroi girl and my mum born out at Gunnedah, it is something that is really special to me,” she said.
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“It’s one of the things I will strive to work in and make a difference.”
She said it was something her colleagues were “really excited” about as well.
“I think as new graduates it’s something that should be important to all of us,” she said.
Twelve of the interns previously studied in Tamworth at the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health.
Dr Noakes studied at the campus last year and said the Tamworth “ticked a lot of boxes”.
“I’m also interested in working rurally in the future,” she said.
“So, Tamworth hospital really ticked a lot of the boxes that I was looking for, in a way that would support in my future career, as well as now developing into a doctor that I’m happy with,” she said.
The uni’s clinical dean Lauren Cone said the campus was doing its part to keep young doctors in Tamworth.
“The majority of them hadn’t had an experience in Tamworth before coming here,” Dr Cone said.
“They’ve had such a good quality experience they want to come back.”
Dr Cone said of the one of the missing pieces of the puzzle to bring rural health up to scratch was being able to provide more specialist training, which is mostly based in larger cities.
“We do lose a lot of good junior doctors when it comes time for specialist training,” she said.
Tamworth hospital’s director of medical services Marco Metelo said JMO program was having some success in retaining young doctors.
He said a good percentage of interns going on to become resident medical officers in Tamworth, continuing training in specialities like psychiatry, emergency and critical care.
Dr Metelo said the hospital had invested in additional JMOs this year because they were highly valued.