Interns

Dr Nadine Ata

I believe I made a great decision to undertake my internship at The Northern Hospital because it is a comfortable, fun and friendly place to work and I feel I have lots of opportunities to learn and further my career.  My first rotation was Psychiatry I found it a wonderful way to commence my internship. The staff were very helpful and welcomed me warmly into my first job as a doctor. Within a month I felt really comfortable at work and was treated like an integral member of the team. There were many opportunities for me to learn, the weekly tutorials for psychiatry HMOs led by Dr Kurt Wendelborn were fantastic and built upon the informal teaching we received during ward rounds. I was encouraged to stretch my learning if I wanted to and was able to admit patients and lead consultations with support from my team. I would definitely recommend this rotation to anyone with even a slight interest in Psychiatry.

The supervisor of Interns at The Northern is amazing teacher and very passionate about making the intern experience an enjoyable and valuable one - our weekly protected teaching time covers the most relevant and useful topics for interns, and our week-long orientation to the hospital at the start of the year really helped make transition to working life a smoother one.  I also enjoy working with patients from different cultural backgrounds here and my experience of The Northern interpreter service has been excellent and makes communication quite easy.  I feel proud to be a Northern Intern and am looking forward to my year ahead!

Dr Nadine Ata, Intern

Dr Rowena Hare

As a Monash Post Grad student, I’d never been to the Northern before and the only exposure I had prior to internship was my interview! It was actually this experience- where I found my interviewees were really interested in learning more about me and had individual questions for me based on my resume- that initially impressed me, and I haven’t been disappointed.

Northern has been a warm, welcoming and friendly place to start my medical career. Internship is always going to be a rollercoaster of new challenges, experiences and rewards and throughout it all, staff have been supportive, caring and interested.  There is also an emphasis on learning and development, with formal intern teaching every week, great medical education resources to access and medical staff who are more than willing to guide you through a new procedure or talk you through managing a difficult case.

With a strong sense of community and teamwork, Northern has an ethos to be proud of. We all want a place where we can go to work and find a smile, and at Northern – that’s what you’ll get!

Dr Rowena Hare, Intern

Dr Shannon McGrath

When applying for jobs it's easy to get lost in all the rigmarole; but for me it was about finding a similarly friendly hospital to where I did my clinical years as a student, and finding a hospital that offers me the greatest surgical experience for my intern year. For me it was The Northern Hospital and so far it has delivered on all the promises it gave me.

Like most Interns, I had no idea what to expect the first few weeks. I approached my intern year with trepidation. This was further cemented by my first rotation being in a newly formed position. What were the expectations of the urology intern? No-one had ever done this before.

I feel I was lucky to start in a new position as I was given plenty of attention and support. The expectations were unknown but with great senior staff and a friendly and approachable medical workforce, I soon came to understand my position and I began to thrive. I have had an amazing time as an intern, let alone as the first Urology intern. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful, from fellow interns and senior doctors to the nursing staff and allied health. I look forward to spending many more years as part of The Northern Health care system.

Dr Shannon McGrath, Intern

Dr Arielle van Mourik

The Northern Hospital has been an ideal place to begin my career as a doctor. It has only been three months and already I can see how much it has to offer, not only with respect to valuable learning opportunities, but also as a friendly and supportive workplace.

My first rotation was in General Medicine, with five weeks on the admitting / cover unit and five weeks on the ward. Admitting shifts are a good time to consolidate your history and examination skills and start forming management plans for patients. The patients presenting to Northern often have very interesting and complex medical conditions to work up, as well as a range of languages to decipher! Cover shifts, whilst daunting, are an invaluable learning experience, challenging you to prioritise, make decisions, and improve your clinical skills, all the while knowing that the support is right there if you need it.

On the ward, I had the opportunity to work closely with my Registrar and Consultant. This is fantastic for learning and for really feeling part of the team. You are often the first port of call for your patients, enabling you to understand their conditions and follow through on their care. The ward is also great because you can get to know the Nursing staff and Allied Health professionals, from whom there is so much to learn and whose friendship makes for a very welcoming environment.

I have recently commenced my rotation through Orthopaedics, which is also fantastic! Already I have been able to assist in multiple operations, often one-on-one with a Consultant or Registrar. The team are most willing to teach and help you achieve what you want to out of your rotation.

I would strongly recommend the Northern Hospital as a place to undertake your intern year. There are countless opportunities for you to gain extensive clinical experience, balanced with enough support to ensure a smooth transition from medical student to intern. This results in a most rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Dr Arielle van Mourik, Intern

Dr Georgiana Stanton

My name is Georgiana Stanton. I am currently an intern at Northern Hospital and I love it. My first rotation was ED.  It was definitely overwhelming at first as it is incredibly busy. However with time you begin to feel a little more competent and the work gives you a buzz. The hands on experience I was able to gain far outweighed what my peers have experienced in other hospitals.

Northern hospital services a large immigrant population. At times this can be challenging with language and cultural barriers, however it makes the job even more fascinating. In the short time I have been at the Northern, patients from all over the world have shared their stories and fears with me. I feel very honoured and hope that it will make me a far more informed doctor.

What I love the most about the Northern is the community vibe. Every doctor, nurse, cleaner and cafeteria worker throws you a smile as you walk by and takes the time out of his or her day to stop and have a chat. This makes the job much easier because as interns you spend half your time asking for help even if it is just for directions. I grew up and studied in WA, so moving to Melbourne for my internship year meant that this friendly environment was even more important to me. I could not have asked for an easier transition.

I highly recommend the Northern Hospital for your intern year. I am sure you will love it as much as I do.

Dr Georgiana Stanton, Intern