Intern and Residents Guide 2012 - The Australian Medical Students ...

Info all JMOs should know
WHAt iS An internSHiP?
Internship is (usually) a one year period where
a medical graduate undergoes supervised
clinical training within an accredited hospital.
Interns have been granted provisional
registration with the Medical Board of
Australia, and will gain full registration at the
completion of their intern year. In general,
interns are required to complete 47 weeks of
clinical training, which excludes time taken off
for sick or annual leave.
WHAt iS tHe StruCture Of
tHe yeAr?
Most hospitals operate with five rotation
blocks throughout the year for interns, ranging
between 10 and 12 weeks in length.
WHAt terMS AM i required tO
COMPlete?
Australian interns are required to complete
five terms throughout the year, consisting of
at least one surgical, medical and emergency
medicine term. Each hospital offers a different
selection of terms for their interns. Residents
tend not to have core terms.
8 Australian Medical Students’ Association
HOW MuCH Will i be exPeCted
tO WOrk?
For all states across Australia a standard
week is 38 hours, plus overtime. What you
need to look out for is your particular state
and hospital’s regulations about overtime.
Generally expect to have at least one overtime
shift each fortnight, if not every week. These
include evening shifts, night shifts and
weekend shifts. You also need to look out for
when you have a sick relief shift. The doctor
on sick relief can be called at any time of the
day or night to step in. This includes being
called to step into a night shift at 11.45pm
when you are about to go to sleep. Each state
has a different policy on ‘unrostered overtime’.
Check out your state and hospital policies on
this prior to commencing work.
CAn i MAke A COuPle
APPliCAtiOn WitH SOMebOdy
elSe?
Most states accept applications for couples
or joint-tickets. It is best to check with the
websites listed under each state’s application
information section.
CAn i get SPeCiAl
COnSiderAtiOn fOr My
APPliCAtiOn?
Each state has a separate and different
policy for special consideration. Special
consideration is generally reserved for
applicants with extenuating circumstances
such as dependant children or a serious
illness. Check their websites.
AllOCAtiOn PriOrity grOuPS
The majority of states conform to national
guidelines for internship allocation, with only
minor changes offering in the past few years.
The typical allocation priority groups are
outlined on the following page.
States such as NSW have adapted the policy
to create ‘guaranteed spots’, which has
implications if you are applying from interstate
or as an International Graduate from an
Australian University. It is best to check each
state’s website for further details on their
allocation system.