Education and training opportunities
Discover a range of education and training opportunities available to doctors across all levels within the northern Queensland region. Opportunities include formal protected teaching time along with other informal educational opportunities, helping doctors further advance their professional skills and knowledge.
A network of medical training opportunities
We connect medical students, interns and junior doctors with resources and opportunities to prepare for specialist training and beyond, creating stronger health outcomes in our region.
Dr Tadiwa Mashavave, Junior Doctor, Mackay Base Hospital
“It was during my time at JCU that I decided I wanted to end up somewhere rural or regional and I thought I would be able to gain a lot of hands-on skills in my junior years at a regional hospital like Mackay Base Hospital. It’s been great working with other doctors who are as passionate about rural health and the people it serves.”
Dr Hannah Bennett, Rural Generalist and Pain Specialist, Townsville University Hospital
"As a consultant in Pain Medicine, I have excellent work-life balance. Townsville is a great place to raise a family and there's so much on your doorstep here. It's just an easy life.” Read More
Dr Anthony Brazzale, Cardiologist, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service
“We have advanced trainees who come from Brisbane and want to come back here now as consultants. They tell us this is one of the best training centres in Australia. The opportunities you get up here, you’ll get nowhere else.” Read MoreKeep up to date with our latest news & events!
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24 October 2024
Doctor's Legacy of Education and Innovation
After three decades of dedicated service at Townsville University Hospital, Dr Robert Norton has retired, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy in the fields of microbiology and infectious diseases. As the Clinical Director of Microbiology, Dr Norton has been at the forefront of diagnosing and combating some of North Queensland’s most challenging health issues. Beyond his clinical work, one of his greatest passions has been mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals, particularly junior doctors and medical students from James Cook University. Dr Norton says the rewards of mentoring are twofold, allowing him to continue his own education while inspiring others. "It is an opportunity for me to continue learning and to hopefully encourage the next generation to appreciate the importance of infectious diseases in our region," he says. Throughout his career, Dr Norton has been deeply involved in various education events through the Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs, including career fairs and pathology training information sessions. He sees these activities as vital for sparking interest in careers in medicine, microbiology, and infectious diseases. "They are very important," he says. "It’s an opportunity for our students to informally meet doctors in a variety of fields and to discuss what the job entails and, more importantly, whether it is for them."
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4 March 2024
Something in the Ayr
For General Practice (GP) Registrar, Dr Ashleigh Attard, there is no place like home. After receiving hands-on GP training and experience practising in regional and remote clinics across Northern Queensland, Dr Attard returned home to complete her final GP practice placement in Ayr. Ashleigh said, the decision to move home to service the community was an easy one. “I thought it would be nice to come back and work at home, in a community that I'm familiar with,” she said. “I wanted to give back to the community where I've lived my whole life and all my family still lives here. It was an easy decision to make.” During the 18-month placement at Outback Family Medicine, Ashleigh received support, supervision and training from her cousin, an experienced GP working at the practice. “I had that family connection to the workplace already and it was a great environment to do my training in,” she said. “My cousin was a great mentor. The practice has really great patients and staff.” Working as a GP Registrar in a rural community, Dr Attard gained a wide scope of practice providing continuity of care to patients with diverse clinical presentations. “I see a lot of patients across the spectrum from young to old,” she said. “I look after the Home Hill Nursing Home and I have a lot of patients that I go to visit once a week. “I have lots of antenatal, and I'm involved in the antenatal care of some of my friends from school who are having babies. “You really get immersed in the community, and you will know so much more about your patients, and you feel like you really are making a difference in people’s lives definitely more so in a rural town.”
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29 February 2024
Bridging the gap
After witnessing the negative impacts that the transience of General Practitioners (GP) had on the Mackay community, Dr Kate Bialy wanted to bridge the primary care gap. In 2019, Dr Bialy fellowed from GP training and began working at a clinic in Mackay. “My husband and I wanted to go where we could be of the most help, and we noticed there was high transience and turnover of people in the medical sphere here,” she said. “When it comes to continuity of care in medicine high turnover creates a huge gap. “I started working at Health on Central in Mackay essentially as soon as I fellowed from GP Training.” Five years later, Kate continues to make a positive impact on the health outcomes of her patients at Health on Central. Dr Bialy said, providing primary healthcare services to the Mackay community is extremely rewarding. “Being able to practise as a GP is a lifelong dream of mine,” Kate said. “Working as a GP in a regional town is extremely rewarding; seeing my patient’s health improve is the biggest highlight.” “If you are keen to make a difference in a big way to a small community, it’s very easy to do that in regional medicine.”
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27 February 2024
Adventure Calls in Tropical Island Paradise
Enticed by a tropical adventure, Dr Joshua Baker travelled almost 5,000 kilometres across Australia to seek out the rural medicine experience in Far North Queensland. Reality more than met his expectations and prompted a permanent switch from the Outback to the Tropics. “It always was a plan to head to Cairns in the year following internship back home in Western Australia,” Dr Baker says. “The whole ‘Rainforest meets the reef’ lifestyle really appealed to me. I wanted to spend some time up here and I guess I just haven’t left!” Dr Baker says. While completing his junior doctor years at Cairns Hospital, Dr Baker got a glimpse of the general practice scene in the Cape and Torres region and was immediately drawn to it. “When I saw GPs there, I thought they had the best job in the world. You’re getting to do a diverse range of clinical work in the emergency department in the hospital and out in remote clinics. These guys are at the forefront of primary care.”
Read MoreThe NQRTH medical training network:
NQRTH is an initiative of the Australian Government's Integrated Rural Training Pipeline (IRTP) and is facilitated by James Cook University in partnership with public and private hospitals, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), health services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and GP clinics.
Cairns region
(07) 4226 8187
Central West region
(07) 4764 1547
Mackay region
(07) 4885 7122
North West region
(07) 4764 1547
Torres and Cape region
(07) 4095 6103
Townsville region
(07) 4781 3424