Junior doctors - why do we do it?

Committee of Doctors in Training Chair Dr Rob Nayer fronted the media for a candid look at what these state-wide statistics mean for the individual.

When asked what this stress means to him, Dr Nayer replied: “It takes a big toll. So for me, I have my fellowship examination coming up, so I spend a lot of time at work, and then when I'm at home, I spend a lot of time studying.”

“Because I'm an emergency medicine trainee, I do a lot of shift work,” he said. 

“I've been looking after patients in the emergency department that are in the department for an extensive period of time, sometimes over 24 hours, and that takes a big mental toll to want to provide care for people in the waiting room, to want to get patients off the ambulance stretchers into the emergency department, and be struggling to do that because we don't have space in our hospitals to get people up to the wards.” 

Given the conditions reported, journalists asked why junior doctors continue to pursue medical careers. 

“I love my job. I really do,” Dr Nayer said.  

“I decided to do medicine a bit later in life, compared to many. My first degree was actually in business and accounting. And what I realised was that I had a passion for helping people. 

“When people come into the emergency department, for a lot of them, that's likely one of the worst days of their lives. They're in pain, they're scared and they're worried. And they're worried about themselves, they're worried about their family and all of their loved ones. 

“I really enjoy being someone who can help alleviate that pain they're feeling and help them through one of those really difficult days in their lives, and do what I can to help make them healthy and better. 

“But to do that and to do it effectively, I also need to be supported in my job. 

“I need safe supervision and good clinical training to help grow my independent practice so I can help people in the years to come as well. 

“So that's why I do this, that's why I'm here.”