Gippsland doctors get a career boost
Fifteen Gippsland doctors have received extra funding for their professional development thanks to the Rural Resume Boost Bursary Program, delivered by the Gippsland Regional Training Hub.
These bursaries are designed to help junior doctors access resources, training and professional development activities, to strengthen their career prospects for specialty training. Applicants had to be living and working in Gippsland, demonstrate a specific learning need directly relevant to their career ambitions, and show an intention to practice rurally.
Successful bursary applicants were selected from across Gippsland and requests included support to attend specialty conferences, complete advanced skill training, or publish research.
For aspiring surgeon Dr Ahmed Khalaf from Latrobe Regional Health, the bursary enabled him to present his original research at two surgical conferences.
“Research is a fundamental part of surgery and applications to surgical training reward contributions to research. This bursary helped cover the cost of my presentations which will directly contribute to strengthening my future application to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ general surgical training program.”
Dr Jon Kee Ho, a registrar at West Gippsland Healthcare Group, used his bursary to complete an Advanced Paediatric Life Support course, and towards training with the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, to help address local healthcare challenges.
“My experience at West Gippsland Hospital has reinforced my understanding of the unique challenges and needs of rural healthcare. I am passionate about continuing to serve this community and expand my contributions to rural medicine through further training and support provided by the Regional Training Hub’s bursary. This training will be invaluable for providing high-quality care to the diverse patient population in rural areas.”
Director of the Gippsland Regional Training Hub, Associate Professor Rob Dawson, said that being able to support local doctors to boost their resumes and get into specialty training programs was a key part of the Regional Training Hubs’ mission to nurture a sustainable local medical workforce.
“We know how important it is for junior doctors to access training and development at this stage of their medical careers. While these opportunities are often based in major cities, we know it’s important to ensure rural doctors have access to these, to become competitive applicants for specialty training programs. We are proud to continue to support our rural medical workforce in Gippsland by providing these bursaries and nurturing local talent.”
The Rural Resume Boost Bursary Program will open again in late 2024. Subscribe to the Hubs Highlights quarterly newsletter to be notified of future application dates and other professional development opportunities.
Monash Regional Training Hubs
The Monash Rural Health Regional Training Hubs facilitate speciality training and career development opportunities for junior doctors to help them live, work and train rurally. The Monash Regional Training Hubs are supported by the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program.
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