Orientation resources

Queensland Health seeks to support a seamless transition to practice in Queensland public health facilities for both graduating students and junior doctors relocating to Queensland.

To do so, an information resource was developed for junior doctors which covers topics including:

  • Australia’s health care system
  • Queensland’s public health system
  • Working as a medical practitioner in Queensland (incorporating role expectations, recruitment and employment, along with well-being resources)
  • Legislation and professional practice
  • Rural and Remote health services in Queensland

This resource is designed to complement local orientation programs that will be delivered by your employing hospital and health service on your commencement.

Queensland Health as an employer

Sixteen individual statutory authorities, called Hospital and Health Services (HHS), provide public health services in Queensland and are the primary employers of medical practitioners in Queensland across the spectrum of major metropolitan cities, thriving regional centres and relaxed rural communities.

Career, lifestyle and wellbeing

Choose to work in a location that not only suits your career, but your lifestyle and your wellbeing.

What sets Queensland Health apart?

  • Diversity in facility size and service profile
  • Competitive remuneration packages
  • Generous employer superannuation contributions, benefits and incentives
  • Exciting career pathways and employment opportunities
  • Diverse work culture and environment
  • Support for professional development and capability building

Rural, regional and remote medical careers

A career in rural, regional and remote medicine gives you the opportunity to join a team of like-minded professionals who are building communities, broadening their experiences and helping transform people’s lives for the better.

You will be supported to work at the top of your clinical scope and across disciplines, with access to professional development opportunities, allowing you to increase your knowledge and expand your skill set.

The communities will help you grow, connect, learn and create life-defining experiences that will shape who you are as a medical professional and also as a person.

Find out more about rural medical career opportunities in Queensland.

Intern recruitment

Queensland Health coordinates an annual campaign to recruit interns for hospital and health services across the state.

Applications are submitted online through a central portal, which opens for at least two weeks each year (usually early March for rural generalist positions and May for general positions).

Hospitals accredited to deliver intern training participate in the annual campaign, and medical graduates can rank their hospital preferences from highest to lowest.

Applicants are either directly allocated a position (Group A – guaranteed offer) or participate in a merit-based selection process conducted by participating hospitals with remaining intern vacancies (Groups B-D).

For more details, including eligibility, key dates, and the application portal, visit the visit the Queensland Health Intern Campaign website.

Medical Education

Medical Education Units support the education, training and wellbeing of junior doctors. They are responsible for ensuring intern education and training programs are compliant with the Australian Medical Council National Framework for Medical Internship and that junior doctors receive the orientation, supervision, formal and informal education, feedback and assessment required to support their ongoing development and safe patient care.

N.B The Australian Medical Council (AMC) has developed a new, two-year framework for prevocational (PGY1 and PGY2) medical training, with new requirements to be implemented from 2024 for PGY1 and 2025 for PGY2.

In addition Medical Education Unit’s provide advocacy, support and counselling (personal, professional and career) to junior doctors.

Most Medical Education Units include a Director of Clinical Training (DCT) and a Medical Education Officer (MEO). The DCT provides educational leadership and acts as an advocate for medical education. The DCT works closely with hospital executives and senior and junior medical officers involved in the education and training of junior medical officers to support the delivery of quality supervision, education and training. Support is also provided by way of mentorship, counselling, advocacy and advice to junior medical officers.

The MEO provides educational expertise in the development, delivery, evaluation and ongoing improvement of junior doctor education and training programs and will work closely with the DCT and others involved in junior doctor education and training. The MEO plays a pivotal role in supporting junior doctor wellbeing and advocacy.

Leadership training

Enhancing medical education, training and supervision resources to enable sustainability within the medical practitioner workforce is a priority for Queensland Health.

The Queensland Department of Health deliver a range of leadership programs for medical practitioners employed across Queensland Health.

Training can be accessed by all levels of the medical practitioner workforce, with programs tailored to:

  • assist junior doctors meet the challenges faced in their first years of working in Queensland Health
  • strengthen the skills clinicians need to supervise, motivate, lead change and provide effective leadership within a healthcare team to provide optimum patient care
  • build capability of senior clinicians to drive service improvements that actively contribute to increasing the effectiveness of Queensland’s health system

Programs

The following programs are currently available to medical practitioners employed in Queensland Health:

  • High Impact
  • Manage4Improvement
  • Clinician and Medical Managers Orientation
  • Step Up
  • Learn2Lead
  • Take the Lead
  • RMO and Registrar recruitment

    Queensland Health facilitates an annual campaign to recruit resident medical officers (RMOs) and registrars for positions in Hospital and Health Services (HHS) across the state.

  • Senior Medical Officer Recruitment

    Queensland Health offers a range of flexible, rewarding employment opportunities for senior medical officers.

  • Wellbeing

    Queensland Health recognises that medical training is demanding and is committed to supporting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of medical practitioners across the organisation.