Intern and TMO Testimonials

2009

'AOGP was amazing with helping me settle into a wonderful rotation. Always available and always helpful.'

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'I undertook the PGPPP as part of a general RMO year without any expectations. Before starting I met with the practice doctors and nurses so they knew what my particular interests and skills in medicine were. I was encouraged to practice independently at my own pace yet always able to seek advice as needed, from doctors and practice staff. The regular teaching in the practice and at other sites with fellow PGPPP doctors covered common general practice topics and were a good forum to “brainstorm” certain patients. Adelaide To Outback also provided two appraisals that were opportunities to receive feedback and self-evaluate.

The autonomy and variety that a PGPPP placement offers far exceeds that on any hospital ward. The duration of the placement is long enough to establish some rewarding doctor-patient relationships, an important aspect of community medicine. It gives you a reliable trial of being the “face of medicine” for your patients and provides a sample of the “GP lifestyle”, or what I prefer to call flexibility. Overall, it provided me with an authentic experience of general practice and inspired my decision to pursue GP training.'

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'I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the GP practice. The level of supervision was excellent and diverse patients made it a very interesting experience.

This is definitely a placement that I would recommend to all junior doctors who are up for a great learning experience.'

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'The Crystal Brook Medical Practice is a warm and friendly working environment. It offers clinical skills and practice in surgery and obstetrics.

I recommend anyone with interests in rural general practice, surgery and obstetrics to apply for a placement at the practice.'

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'Firstly, thank you for your effort to organise the whole course for us. It was a wonderful opportunity and the most welcomed experience in the entire internship. Having been given the chance of making my own decisions in medical practice with adequate supervison I had enough time to think about the care for my own patient in terms of their medical management. With the completion of my GP rotation, it was a satisfying experience.'

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'It was my privilege to have got a GP rotation as part of my internship. Each day kept unfolding itself into a while lot of learning experience, to learn the basic rules of medicine, to see how GP is much more to a patient than just a doctor. Being from an ophthalmology background, I felt I am going back to my roots. I gained confidence in dealing with just everything and strengthened my vague thought of 'maybe I can be a GP' to desperately waiting for the day to be a part of the team. Thanks everyone.'

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'My rural placement was an incredible experience. I could not have hoped for a more enriching intern rotation. The autonomy, opportunity and experience afforded to the practicing intern was incredible. The support of the medical and local community was wonderful.'

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'I enjoyed the wide varitey of everyday general practice problems as well as the exposure and experience of procedural work at the hospital.'

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'My time in general practice was highly memorable and educational, as it allowed me to practice and improve my history-taking, examination, diagnostic and presentation skills. I am indebted to AOGP and to the GPs at Health at Newton & Campbelltown, as they provided me with much support, valuable feedback and encouragement. I would recommend this very organised term to those wanting to pursue general practice as well as those who plan to specialise in other areas, as it provides a great opportunity to see a wide range of conditions and it reveals the challenges faced by GPs in an urban setting.'

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'As an overseas trained doctor, I found the GP placement very useful.
In this rotation I learnt more about the the primary health care system in Australia and the role of GPs in district hospitals.This will help me work more effectively in secondary and tertiary hospitals in the future as we are always in contact with GPs, either for referrals or for follow ups and having a good understanding of each others roles will defintaely improve the care we can provide to our patients.'

2008

'The GP Placement experience is a a very enjoyable time and stimulates my interest to learn. It gives a good exposure to community medicine and preventative health. It certainly tests one's abilities in effective communication skills. What i like the best about it: To be able to live life and be a doctor all in a day's work.'

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'PGPPP offers a valuable opportunity to explore the GP work place while an intern.
Moving in to the community setting provides a great contrast and perhaps some balance to the hospital environment. I encountered an especially diverse group of patients and was really efficiently supervised by a group of GPs with many special interests. Clare, with wineries and the Riesling trail to explore, is a pretty appealing place to spend some time!'

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'Doing a GP placement is a great way to get a taste of general practice if you are considering it as a career. The placement was so well organised by AOGP, I didn't have to worry about a thing! Crystal Brook was a lovely place to visit, with a very friendly medical practice & hospital, and enthusiastic teachers.'

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'Dear Alison, Thank you very much for all your help! It has been enjoyable being part of the Adelaide to Outback, GP Training Program. It has been a pleasure knowing you.'

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'Oakden is a fantastic place to work, with friendly and helpful staff and great supervisors. Dr Hubczenko's considerate and caring attitude to patients and staff alike was, and always will be, inspiring to me - both on a personal and professional level.'

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'The PGPPP roatation offers you the chance to make a most senslible decision - to forget other specialities and choose General Practice!'

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'This placement was instrumental in persuading me to pursue a career in general practice. The supervisors were encouraging, supportive and dedicated to teaching. This experience was an excellent hands on introduction to community medicine.'

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'My GP placement in Clare was a really rewarding experience both personally and professionally.
I was made to feel very welcome both at work and by the Clare community, and enjoyed the beautiful area and all it has to offer. My work was varied and interesting, and provided a great taste of general practice and rural medicine. I gained skills and clinical experience that I would not otherwise have had. Alison and the staff at Adelaide to Outback were fantastic and always ready to help in order to get the most out of the placement. I would definatly recommend a GP Placement with Adelaide to Outback to others as a fantastic opportunity.'

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'A very enjoyable and interesting rotation, with enthusiastic supervisors and friendly staff. This rotation has further increased my interest in general practice as my future career. Adelaide to Outback provides ongoing support, with regular contact via email to address any concern I had. Recommended rotation!'

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'Having had experience on rural rotations as a student, I had great expectations for my rotation at Kadina. The rotation met all of these and more: the autonomy and increased responsibility of consulting and managing your own patients, but doing so in a supportive practice where there was always help to call on, and reflecting on this with an excellent learning package from AOGP, very much consolidated for me my love for General Practice and my want to work in rural areas where the lifestyle can't be beaten!'

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'Working at Kadina Medical Centre and Wallaroo Hospital for ten weeks has been an invaluable learning experience for me. I particularly enjoyed working after hours and weekend (on-call) when I was involved in management of wide variety of different conditions/illnesses. And above all, I simply loved country lifestyle, beautiful beaches of Yorke Peninsula and friendly people living there.'

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'My PGPPP experience at the CMC really prepared me for the big medical career ahead of me. Before I started my rotation, my level of confidence is not that developed, however on completion of my rotation I was able to gain a lot of experience and knowledge that optimized my level of confidence.

Now I’m doing really well as hospital medical office in preparation for my ultimate goal of going into the GP training program.'

 

2007

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'General practice is a dynamic discipline which can accommodate my needs in family commitment, career development and lifestyle.'

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'I would highly recommend the prevocational GP placement to anyone who wants a realistic insight into the work of an urban GP with a good mix of patients and presentation in a supportive environment. I had a great 10 weeks.'

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'My time in Crystal Brook was highly enjoyable. I was exposed to a variety of medical problems in clinic and hospital settings. I worked with great staff and was able to establish rewarding professional relationships with patients. The country setting contributed to the variety of the clinical workload.'

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'Before I worked in Kadina, I thought that working in a country area would be dull. This soon changed. I found that working in Kadina was enjoyable and memorable. The people were friendly, and know each other well. During the placement, I got a lot of support and teaching from other GPs, and started to feel more confident about doing my own consults. As my time in the practice went on, I gradually saw more and more patients, until by the end of my placement, my consults were fully booked and, sometimes, overbooked. I feel that working as a GP requires a lot of knowledge, and it is demanding: something that contrasts strongly with the beliefs of many of my colleagues, who think that just any doctor can become a GP.'

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'It was a wonderful experience working at Crystal Brook Medical Practice. There were very supportive Supervisors and practice staff. I had the opportunity to learn minor procedural skills and the management of chronic illness in the community. There was a wide range of case presentations, including the identification of mental health issues. I was given sufficient time with each patient, and was able to give my opinion on diagnosis and treatment. I also received excellent teaching and support from my Supervisors. My sincere thanks to AOGP and the PGPPP for providing me with this opportunity.'

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'It was a pleasant and informative experience.' 'My GP placement was a wonderful, no-pressure learning environment which gave me the confidence to see and manage patients myself.'
'The placement was an enjoyable and effective experience. It was a well-constructed and supported program. I most appreciated the diverse patient presentations, and the several supervisors present.'

 

2006

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'Fantastic placement. Great clinical experience with supportive supervisors and staff. It was a hands-on approach that made me feel like a rural GP making a difference to the community's health.'
'I really enjoyed my GP placement. It taught me a lot and cemented my desire to pursue a career in General Practice.'
'The most important thing I can tell anyone contemplating this placement is: You will not regret it.'
'I loved the independence of General Practice, the one-on-one consults and teaching. I felt that I was a contributing member of the practice and thoroughly enjoyed my placement.'

 

2005

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'The rural Intern rotation at Whyalla proved to be a very positive experience for me. I enjoyed escaping the tertiary hospital I was attached to, to experience medicine in a GP setting. I felt well-supported at all times and was exposed to an interesting variety of [patient] presentations. I would recommend this rotation to anyone.'

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'The Adelaide to Outback GP Training Program provided me with a wonderful opportunity to experience life as a rural junior GP trainee. It has made a tremendous difference in my opinion of General Practice and training. The experience provided me with a wide array of learning opportunities, range from procedural work to the management of chronic conditions. I would recommend this rotation to any intern at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.'

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'Working at Windsor Village has been a pleasure. It is not every day you get to work with a great bunch of people in a relaxed, fun environment. General Practice can be as exciting as you want to make it. If you adopt the right attitude, this rotation can be a very useful and rewarding way to spend ten weeks of the Intern year.'

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'My GP rotation was one of the most valuable experiences I have had. I enjoyed playing an active role in patient care, liaising with specialists, and dealing with the psychosocial aspects of patients' lives. The rotation enabled me to finally put all the "pieces of the puzzle" together, i.e. to see how hospitals, general practices and allied health providers all work together to ensure a patient's needs are met. It also gave me an opportunity to practice some primary and preventive health care. I found Windsor Village a relaxed, friendly environment where I was able to consolidate some of my medical knowledge, in addition to learning many new skills. I found the rotation a most rewarding experience, that has contributed significantly to my personal and professional development, and would highly recommend it to all Interns.'
'A wide range of experiences and worth the travel. Nice scenery and friendly atmosphere!'