Gia's intern year in Mackay

For many future doctors, the idea of their intern year is nothing short of daunting.  But for Dr Gia Cavalieri interning at Mackay and Proserpine hospitals in north Queensland was an overwhelmingly positive experience, one which has seen her grow and flourish as a doctor.

“My supervisors here have been so approachable, my bosses have always been available to chat and I feel like I can talk to them about pretty much anything.  I’ve been able to express my opinions and I’ve always been able to ask for advice,” Dr Cavalieri said.

For Dr Cavalieri, the variety of clinical presentations in the rural town nestled in the heart of the Whitsundays was a major drawcard.

“We’d get this flurry of tourist activity all the time as well as rural traumas.  For example in the ED  any one day you could be working up an unwell child in the morning, managing trauma in the middle of the day, to seeing a patient with an Irukandji sting, which is the very nasty jellyfish we get up here.  You’re never bored.”

The level of autonomy and ability to learn and develop new skills while being supported by a friendly and accessible team of seniors added to her experience.

“They trusted us as clinicians even though as an intern you’re the baby of medicine. The staff in Proserpine really empowered us to think for ourselves and make decisions for ourselves,” Dr Cavalieri said.

“The variety of what we did also helped.  If I wasn’t on the ward my week was very varied.  Day one could be learning how to run a sedation in a scope list with an anaesthetist, day two could be running an antenatal clinic with the boss, day three could be assisting in a caesarean section possibly with a patient you met in the antenatal clinic, day four you could be learning how to manage a fracture clinic and day five back in Emergency again.  Then you’d be back on the ward the following week.  As an intern it such an incredible experience.