Navigating job applications can be daunting for final year international medical students, especially if you are interested in working in rural or regional Australia.
Mackay Base Hospital’s teaching reputation combined with recommendations from other international graduates prompted Malaysian medical graduate Keith Tan to apply to do his internship in Mackay.
Keith is one of 38 interns from diverse backgrounds including China, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Africa who have started their careers with Mackay Hospital and Health Service to gain experience in a range of specialties as part of a broad-based introduction to working as a doctor.
After completing six years of study at Monash University Malaysia, it was his three-month placement in Mildura in Victoria which cemented Keith’s love of regional medicine. His career path was inspired by his father who is a neurologist working in the private sector in Malaysia.
“I grew up in a small rural town called Ipoh in the state of Perak in Malaysia. I was always told that I could achieve anything I set my mind to and medicine was one of those things,” Keith said.
“I’ve always felt inclined to help those in need, especially in rural areas. Having experienced firsthand the health challenges faced by loved ones, I believe everyone deserves good healthcare and I’m committed to being part of providing that support.”
Keith said his internship in Mackay would ensure he received the support and guidance he needed to grow as a junior doctor in an environment where his supervisors and colleagues got to know him and his specific learning needs.
“I came to Mackay for a number of reasons but I do really like regional medicine,” he said.
“A lot of senior students and colleagues actually recommended the Mackay HHS to me – it has a good reputation and from what I’ve already seen, a great support system for interns.
“My partner Zhi Ai is also an intern here and I was told the hospital was very couple-friendly too – a lot of seniors I know who worked here actually came as a couple and felt very welcomed.
“The weather here in Mackay is also very similar to Malaysia so it already feels like home.”
Keith also appreciated the two-week orientation period for interns.
“That was really different as a lot of the other hospitals only offer a one or two-day orientation and I feel that is very rushed,” he said.
“I think as an intern you really need some time to acclimatise to the hospital and get used to the new system and meet your colleagues.”
Keith has started his first rotation in the emergency department where he will focus on core clinical skills in emergency care, medicine and surgery as well as optional electives in other clinical areas such as general practice, paediatrics or cardiology.
Keith is particularly interested in the basic physician training or following an endocrinology or rheumatology pathway.
“For now, I finally get the opportunity to put my knowledge into practice as an intern as well as be financially independent and support myself,” he said.
“We’ve settled into Mackay really well – we have accommodation and have just bought a car –and I’m really looking forward to learning a lot and growing as a doctor here.
“I think interns need a good support system, but also an attitude of being curious.
“You also need to be a good listener – at the end of the day, patient communication is very important and part of our role as clinicians is to make the patient as comfortable as possible.”
