A GROUND-BREAKING program providing on the ground training for international medical graduates is under way with the first recruit flowing onto the medical wards of Mount Gambier Hospital.
The hospital, along with its partner Flinders University, has been accredited by the Australian Medical Council to start a 12-month Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) program for international medical graduates.
The program is seen as part of a multi-prong strategy to stabilise the hospital’s resident medical workforce and attract medical professionals to the region.
Pakistani medical graduate Dr Alaina Iftikhar has begun her 12 month placement, which has been described as a positive outcome by the region’s medical services director Dr Christopher Tan.
Dr Tan said the program facilitated comprehensive assessment of doctors over a period of time through direct observation of on-the-job performance.
“This is the only WBA program accredited in South Australia and provides Mount Gambier Hospital a platform to not only attract high quality medical professionals, but also promote the Limestone Coast as a wonderful place to live and work,” he said.
Candidates will be ranked according to their commitment to working as a clinician on the Limestone Coast, coupled with their interest in rural generalist practice or a specialist discipline currently in under-supply in the region.
“We have recently started the work-based assessment program and Alaina is the first candidate through the program,” Dr Tan said.
“We think it is a really good way to assess doctors in a continuous matter rather than once-off in an exam – it gives us a better idea about how people are performing on the ground on a day-to-day basis.”
He said the program delivered “really good results” in communities in other parts of Australia.
“We are glad to have the program here and see people starting in those positions,” Dr Tan said.
He said the program would initially start with three candidates.
“It is a really good thing we are getting people into the program and attracting young doctors to Mount Gambier.”
Speaking to The Border Watch, Dr Iftikhar said the program was giving her experience working across the footprint of the hospital.
“It is very useful – we are actually getting to see patients and getting to know the protocols,” she said.
Dr Iftikhar was familiar with the Blue Lake city with her husband Umair Qazi taking up the position as director of the hospital’s emergency department.
Flinders Rural Health South Australia director Professor Jennene Greenhill said the organisation was delighted to be working in partnership with Mount Gambier Hospital to implement the newly accredited WBA program.
“The WBA program allows Flinders University to provide an important service for international medical graduates who provide essential services to people in rural communities,” Professor Greenhill said.
“This is an excellent new venture that offers a flexible rural training pathway and allows medical graduates to train while delivering much-needed services in Mount Gambier.”
