doctor

The number of interns in 2016 is a slight
increase over last year, with 983 finding
places in NSW compared to 980 in 2015.
“It’s a good thing that this is another
record cohort, as it will help NSW
solve its doctor shortage and help the
system cope with massive demands in
healthcare,” said Dr Danielle McMullen,
Chair of the Doctors-in-Training
Committee (DITC).
The Alliance visited every teaching
hospital in the state to meet with interns
during Orientation Week and discuss the
advantages of becoming a member. This
is the fourth year of the AMA (NSW) /
ASMOF (NSW) Alliance and its reputation
for providing assistance to junior doctors
is growing.
Doctor representatives highlighted some
of the big wins the Alliance has had for
DITs in recent years.
Since July 2013, ASMOF (NSW) has
helped DITs recover approximately
$4 million in wages for ADOs, long
service leave, maternity leave, meal
breaks, overtime and call-backs,
and assisted DITs when an alleged
overpayment has occurred.
The Alliance is also in the process of
renegotiating the Award to improve
conditions for doctors-in-training at
NSW hospitals.
“It’s important to ensure sound industrial
protection for junior doctors, and that’s
why ASMOF has prioritised renegotiating
and improving the doctors-in-training
Award,” Dr McMullen said.
Meanwhile, AMA (NSW) has been at
the forefront of the battle to ensure all
medical graduates get an intern place.
Together with AMSA, we have been
successful in persuading the NSW
Government to guarantee an intern place
for all domestic graduates. AMA (NSW)
has also lobbied the Federal Government
to fund additional intern places for
overseas students.
The focus has now shifted to ensure
there are enough college positions.
During the 2015 NSW election
campaign, the State Government
agreed with AMA (NSW)’s requests
to fund 60 new registrar positions
over the next four years.
Despite the boost, more work is
needed in this area.
“A doctor’s medical training does
not begin and end at university,”
Dr McMullen said. “We continue our
training throughout our careers and the
interns have two major bottlenecks and
many years ahead of them before they
are the specialists and GPs we need.
“Governments, both State and Federal,
need to work together to ensure that
adequate training places are available to
make sure all interns can complete this
on-the-job training.”
In December last year, following pressure
from the AMA, the Federal Government
committed $94 million to support regional
training in its Mid-Year Economic and
Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO).
As part of the new rural health workforce
initiatives, the Government committed
to the creation of a new Integrated Rural
Training Pipeline that will help to retain
medical graduates in rural areas by
better coordinating the different stages of
training within regions.
There are three components to the
new initiative, including 30 new regional
training hubs, over $10 million per
year into a new Rural Junior Doctor
Training Innovation Fund and a targeted
expansion of the Specialist Training
Programme to provide up to 100 new
training places in rural areas.
The other major area of concern
that the Alliance is continuing to
address is bullying and sexual
harassment in medicine.
“I want the interns of 2016 to know
that there is help available if you find
yourself being bullied or harassed and
that with all the focus on the issue,
access to that help is going to get
easier,” Dr McMullen said.
The Alliance is lobbying the Government
to adopt specific processes for junior
doctors, and for those members
experiencing problems we can provide
confidential and expert assistance. dr.
INTERNSHIPS BY HOSPITAL
SYDNEY HOSPITALS
Auburn 10
Balmain 3
Bankstown-Lidcombe and Camden 46
& Campbelltown
Blacktown-Mount Druitt 42
Blue Mountains 3
Calvary Healthcare Sydney 2
Canterbury Hospital and Concord 42
Repatriation General Hospital
Liverpool and Fairfield hospitals 51
Hornsby 35
Nepean 50
Hawkesbury District Health Service 6
Prince of Wales 36
Royal North Shore 44
Royal Prince Alfred 46
Ryde 11
St George 43
St Vincent’s 29
Sutherland 24
Westmead 70
RURAL AND REGIONAL HOSPITALS
Albury 5
Armidale 3
Bathurst 5
Belmont 12
Bulli 4
Calvary Mater 22
Broken Hill 3
Coffs Harbour 19
Dubbo 12
Griffith 2
Gosford 35
John Hunter 51
Lismore 14
Maitland 6
Manning 6
Orange 17
Port Kembla 1
Port Macquarie 16
Royal Newcastle Centre 2
The Mater – HNE Mental Health 5
Shellharbour 4
Shoalhaven 7
Tamworth 18
Tweed Heads 18
Wagga Wagga 22
Wollongong 49
Wyong 26
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