2024 was a momentous year for Mackay’s Dr Mariyam Nizha.
She completed her medical internship at Mackay Base Hospital on December 20 and just two days later gave birth to her son.
These dual experiences as both a new doctor and a patient at the same hospital has profoundly influenced her career path.
Dr Nizha grew up in the Maldives and with her husband Ahmed, moved to Sydney in 2012 where she completed a degree in biomedical science at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). For her academic performance at UTS, she was awarded The Australian Institute of Medical Scientists Prize in Clinical Bacteriology.
She then worked in pathology for two years at Sydney Adventist Private Hospital as well as undertook research training at the University of Sydney and Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute as a merit scholar.
It was then her desire to study medicine and have an immediate, positive impact on people’s lives and society was renewed.
Dr Nizha studied for her MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) at the International Medical University Malaysia (IMU), graduating in 2023 before sitting for her Australian Medical Council MCQ exam.
“The decision to change careers was one of the best decisions I have made in my life,” she said.
“I love the variability of cases that medical doctors encounter as no two patients are the same.
“Working your way towards a diagnosis and a treatment plan tailored to each individual patient is deeply satisfying, especially when you see the patient’s health improve.
“This is what I love about medicine, and this is what drives me.”
The warm welcome extended to international medical graduates by Mackay was certainly a drawcard, but the HHS stood out to Dr Nizha for other reasons too.
“The workforce and Medical Education Unit here in Mackay were incredibly supportive and provided invaluable insights to how my career progression pathway could look like within the local health service,” she said.
“On my visit I was really impressed by the facility, the state-of-the-art equipment and that it was the first fully-digital public hospital with medications management in a regional area.
“I also had the opportunity to meet with several consultants and registrars who were extremely approachable and it was quite inspiring to learn many of the doctors had trained throughout Australia and around the globe and still decided to settle in Mackay for work-life balance and the beautiful landscape.”
Dr Nizha’s rotations as an intern include obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency medicine, general medicine, general surgery and cardiology. She credits this training and experience with helping her decide on a pathway as an O&G specialist or general practitioner with specialist O&G training.
Ironically, Dr Nizha discovered she was pregnant in April 2024 after completing her obstetrics and gynaecology rotation.
“All my supervisors and colleagues including doctors, nurses, department admins, as well as MEU and workforce teams were extremely supportive when they found out about my pregnancy,” she said.
“I decided to be a public patient at the Base Hospital so that I could attend regular appointments and scans at the hospital itself during my break hours.
“One of the highlights of my hospital journey last year was my experience with the Maternally Yours Midwifery Group Practice, specifically midwife Lisa Maree and her team.
“She changed my view of what midwives do, how thorough midwives are and how effective their ways can be in managing the entire pregnancy, the very challenging process of labour and ultimately, the birth; I learnt a lot from her and have a lot of takeaways that I intend to practise at work myself.”
Dr Nizha said she was also very grateful to Dr Wojciech Szubert, nurse Moira and midwife Makayla for her comfortable and very educational stay at the hospital post-delivery.
At the end of her intern year, when the 2025 recruitment campaign opened, Dr Nizha had no hesitation in applying for a permanent role with the Mackay HHS.
After her maternity leaves ends in June and her return to the Maldives to introduce her son to his extended family, she will return to the Mackay Base Hospital as a Resident Medical Officer in the O&G department.
“It is safe to say that I could not have gone through this roller coaster of a year without my husband Ahmed’s continuous support, physically and mentally, as well as emotionally,” she said.
“I think also without my extremely supportive seniors and colleagues and all of the hospital staff that I worked with, my experience as an intern and patient would not have been this pleasant.
“For this, I thank the entire Mackay Base Hospital team from the bottom of my heart.”
