CDT Chair update - June
Committee of Doctors in Training Chair Dr Elise Witter talks about the Junior Doctor Conference in Cairns, shows off the CrazySocks4Docs gallery and discusses International Medical Graduate onboarding and orientation.
It was delightful to meet so many enthusiastic doctors in training and medical students at our annual Junior Doctor Conference held in early June. Commencing with eminent obstetrician and gynaecologist, author and women’s rights advocate Professor Caroline De Costa and Royal Flying Doctors Service GP and emergency doctor Dr Katrina Starmer, the Saturday was filled with inspirational speakers, practical sessions and procedural skills stations enjoyed by all.
Sunday featured a trip to the reef where I was fortunate to spot a turtle as well as the dazzling displays of coral and colourful fish while snorkelling. This reef trip highlighted a key theme of the conference, the importance of sustainability, and was a timely reminder of the role we all place in advocating for the environment and sustainable practice in healthcare.
We also celebrated Crazy Socks 4 Docs with everyone putting their best foot forward and donning their craziest socks to raise awareness and destigmatise doctors’ mental health. It was heart-warming to see the number of colleagues at Hospital and Health Services across the state who got involved and showed their support. Stigma can be a huge barrier for seeking help for mental health and we encourage anyone who is having a difficult time to reach out to a service such as Doctors’ Health in Queensland or your GP for support. Check out some of our crazy socks below!
Visit Doctors' Health in Queensland website
CDT has also been busy forming a working group around IMG orientation and onboarding in collaboration with the Junior Medical Officers’ Forum of Queensland, with a plan to develop a blueprint for resources to support IMG doctors in training. If you are interested in joining in a focus group to help shape this work, please reach out to us! We would love to have your input.
The Wellbeing SIG is also curating a list of wellbeing resources to assist doctors in training in accessing support. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects when they are complete, and continuing to advocate for doctors in training across Queensland.
Contact CDT by email: cdt@amaq.com.au or call 07 3872 2222.
