Mass doctor resignations ‘will cause ripple effect on medical education system and graduates’ #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
GOLD Coast medical students are considering packing their stethoscopes and working interstate if the ongoing Queensland doctors contract dispute is not resolved.
Griffith University medical student Mickaela Seymour said the mass resignation of senior medical officers will cause a ripple effect on the entire Queensland medical education system and could result in graduates heading out of state for jobs.
The third-year post graduate student moved to the Gold Coast to study at Griffith University’s renowned medical school in 2010 and dreamt of graduating and working at Gold Coast University Hospital.
But the recent contract disputes have put a dark cloud over those dreams, as she considers employment elsewhere.
“Before the dispute I expected to be working at Gold Coast University Hospital with experts in the field. It is where I wanted to be in five years time,” Ms Seymour said.
“But if this doesn’t get resolved then I and many other students will be heading interstate.
“If there is no senior doctors and experts to learn from then there is no point in staying.”
As the president of the Griffith University Medical Society, Ms Seymour said many medicine students have come forward to voice their concern about the dispute and their future careers in public healthcare.
She said it is most worrying for students who rely on Senior Medical Officers for their two-year work placement.
“The short term issue is that we will have nobody to teach us while we are medical students and then when we graduate we are supposed to be part of a team which has a senior doctor who supervises our training,” she said.
“If there is no senior doctor then we are left in the lurch.”
Ms Seymour’s concerns have been echoed by fellow medical student groups including the Queensland Medical Student’s Council (QMSC) which represents more than 4000 medical students at universities across Queensland.
QMSC vice-chair Alex Robinson said Universities had already started to discuss crisis management plans in the event of en mass resignations.
“We believe the Government hasn’t considered the broader ramifications that this dispute will have on the future of the medical workforce, their training, and patient care.”
“In particular, we feel that medical students have been forgotten.”
Ms Seymour moved to the Gold Coast to study at Griffith University’s renowned medical school in 2010.
While she will be celebrating her 22nd birthday tomorrow, she believes a contract resolution would make provide the perfect gift to ease her anxieties of her future.
“We are at the mercy of this dispute because when you graduate you have to go into public hospitals,” she said.
“If there are no senior doctors then graduates are going to leave.
“These disputes have already affected us and they could affect Queensland’s Health industry for years to come.”
Griffith University medical student Mickaela Seymour said the mass resignation of senior medical officers would cause a ripple effect on the Queensland medical education system and could result in graduates heading out-of-state for jobs.
The third-year post graduate student moved to the Coast to study at Griffith University’s medical school in 2010 and dreamt of working at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
But the contract disputes have put a cloud over her dreams, as she considers employment elsewhere.
“Before the dispute, I expected to be working at Gold Coast University Hospital with experts in the field. It is where I wanted to be in five years,” Ms Seymour said.
“But if this doesn’t get resolved, then I and many other students will be heading interstate. If there are no senior doctors and experts to learn from, then there is no point in staying.”
Source: Gold Coast Bulletin