Our Physician Training Program is very unique in that it's one of the very few regionally-based, level three tertiary hospitals that has the opportunities for all sub-specialties of medicine.
We are only one of two hospitals RACP has approved across the country to complete the entire 36 months in the one location. With an on-site university hospital on the campus with James Cook University it means you have the library, the access to research, the support from a research unit, so I think it gives you that fascinating mix of a regional life with the benefits of professional experience that you get in the metros.
We've been very fortunate to produce consistently good results for our candidates in jumping through the hoop that they really, really all want to jump through which is their physician exam. It's a bit of a misconception by some trainees that they need to be in the bigger cities to get progression in their career pathway and to get on programs, you know I'm here to tell you that I don't think that that's accurate at all.
I'm PGY4, I applied for provisional training in Neurology next year and I'm already doing an advanced trainee role. The reason I really enjoy Physician Training in Townsville is that it really incorporates everything that I want in a Physician Training Center.
It has excellent teaching, it's academically minded, they arrange regular teaching sessions for all the Basic Physician Trainees, not only to guide you through those horrible exams but to also just mentor you along your way and help you find the specialty that suits you best, and then help you make headway into achieving your goals of getting a career in that pathway.
I guess if you come to Townsville and you just want to be a bit of a sponge, you're just going to get flooded with all the learning that you can take. I would encourage anyone who's interested in doing Basic Physician Training to consider doing it in a place like Townsville. I hit the ground running in PGY2, in my resident year, which is a great opportunity and not all hospitals allow you to get onto the pathway that early.
Townsville is really great because it's building a culture of excellence. The pass rate for the written exam here really speaks to always wanting to improve, to get feedback, to be the best doctors that we can be. I really strongly urge anyone who wants world-class physician training to consider Townsville.
If what you want is a well-rounded opportunity, lots of access to specialty programs, personalised investment in your career and decision making then I think that's something that Townsville can really offer.
I think the other thing about Townsville is in a lot of ways there are departments that are quite young, they're still forming, there's still input, things are still changing, and that really does create an opportunity for people because all of a sudden you can be the person who contributes something to a department that helps mould it and shape it into what it becomes in the future.
There's just so much growth and opportunity and so much potential for people who are keen and eager.
We have lifestyle plus in Townsville.
Regardless of what your area of interest may be we cater for it.
Basically we get nine months of perfect weather here in Townsville. The lifestyle in Townsville is probably the main attraction point for me, and I think it should be for most physician trainees.
We're coastal, we have great beaches, we have great camping, great fishing, we have a lot of diving that goes on up here, we have all of these options and it really just influences your work-life balances and it helps you to kind of get a bit of a distraction from work.
I guess in physician training, given the exams and how gruelling they are, you can really get stuck down just studying and working, and studying and working, and when you open your door and you've got a beach just laid out in front of you it kind of takes you away from that.
Why would you want to train in Brisbane when you can train here?