Transcript for Psychiatry Training in Northern Queensland (video 1)
[Soft music plays in the background]
[Text on screen] Specialty Training in Northern Queensland, Psychiatry.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
[Text on screen] Dr Daniel Gileppa, Consultant Psychiatrist
While I was a junior doctor, I did quite a few rotations around the hospital in different specialties. Very interested by disorders of the brain and drawn more towards odd behaviours that had come from those disorders. I realised, well that’s really kind of more psychiatry.
>> Dr Andrew Amos:
[Text on screen] Dr Andrew Amos, Director of Training (Psychiatry)
Training to become a psychiatrist is traditionally been a 5 year process. We sort of see the pathway of the psychiatric training as a bit of a trajectory. First year you’re learning the ropes – how do I do a basic interview? Then you have the middle years, where people are looking at all of the different types of specialty that they may do. And then in Advanced Training, in the last couple of years, that’s when they really knuckle down and chase one or other of the specialties and work on where they’re going to go in their career.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
Almost every subspecialty of Psychiatry can be completed in the regional areas, so child and youth, addiction studies, most of forensics, older persons as well.
>> Dr Andrew Amos:
One of the advantages of working in a place like Mackay, Townsville or Cairns, is that although there’s not quite as developed systems up here, there are opportunities for having a bigger role in the development of the systems. So, you can really write your own ticket to a large extent.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
As a person progresses through their training, they’re given more and more autonomy. Towards the end of the second year or even the third year, a person would be allowed to function largely independently in a clinic setting.
>> Dr Andrew Amos:
The local community is really involved in helping medical students and doctors develop their skills. So, there’s a whole group of volunteers here who will be a simulated patient to allow a doctor to develop skills and to demonstrate that they’re able to do the things that they need to do. I haven’t found that anywhere else in Australia.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
I think in Psychiatry there is a very strong multidisciplinary team and you do feel well supported.
>> Dr Andrew Amos:
You won’t simply be another face; you’ll get very personal attention, and you’ll have access to some fairly innovative programs that will help you get through your training in the shortest amount of time possible and then set you up really well for being integrated into the local community when you become a psychiatrist.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
So, I’m in a band call The Marias, initially only consisted of medical doctors, that’s now expanded, and we have dentists and teachers and various individuals. It’s a lot of fun to play, it’s a lot of fun to just be around the other band members.
>> Dr Andrew Amos:
Just down the way, there’s what’s called Wildcatz Sport, which is where I play indoor soccer. Probably the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is swimming at the Riverway Lagoon, I’ve always been a swimmer it’s been a very good thing for me.
Anybody that’s thinking of a career in Psychiatry really would be well-served coming to experience that enthusiasm and be part of a program that’s improving things for the community.
>> Dr Daniel Gileppa:
The longer you work in those small towns, the more you get an understanding of how the actual town functions. You do start to feel like you’re part of the fabric of the town, which overall I think it’s a positive thing.
[Text on screen] Explore specialty training opportunities in northern Queensland. nqrth.edu.au
All Psychiatry specialty and subspecialty training can be completed in northern Queensland in Cairns, Townsville and majority in Mackay.
The local community are heavily involved in training. Registrars work with a strong multi-disciplinary team.
This video was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health as part of the Regional Training Hubs initiative. Produced in partnership with northern Queensland health care providers and James Cook University.
[James Cook University crest appears on screen] Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs. A network of medical training opportunities. nqrth.edu.au
End of transcript