MEDICUS MARCH 2016

E V E N T

A valuable ally The annual intern meet -and-greet was a good time to remind WA’s newest

M edical graduates had entered a noble and wonderful profession but faced challenges like never before, Australian Medical Association (WA) President Dr Michael Gannon told the 2016 Intern Cocktail Party held last month. With almost 100 interns at the Nedlands Yacht Club on the shimmering banks of the magnificent Swan River, guests caught up over canapes and fine wines as they were welcomed to the profession by both Dr Gannon and the Director General of the Health Department, Dr David Russell-Weisz. Dr Gannon spoke about his experience in the Doctors in Training Committee and his 21 years of involvement with the AMA. “Tonight is a time for you to catch up with old friends and exchange those great stories that I have no doubt you now all have,” he said. “Life as an intern is an exciting time for you. You will see people at their best and you will see people at your worst. You get to see people at their most joyous and doctors of the challenging times ahead and how the AMA can help

Catching up: Drs Monica Leung, Nick Laidler, James Waldron and Gabby Touyz.

That’s not a given for those in the room tonight. “But I have a clear message for everyone here. “You will need the AMA at various times during your career. You will need our advice and guidance, you will need our support,” Dr Gannon said. “I can think, on a personal level, of a couple of dark times in my career when the AMA was there for me,” he said. Dr Gannon also thanked the Co-Chairs of the DiT Committee, Drs Chris Wilson and Michael Page for their great contribution to policy debates. “The Committee has gone from strength to strength over the last few years with a number of major achievements such as the Training Portal.” The Director General of the WA Health Department, Dr David Russell-Weisz also addressed the guests, and told them that it was during his time as an intern in

a “dingy south London hospital” that he met someone who told him he should spend some time in Australia. Russ took the advice and came to New South Wales for a year – many years ago. A member of the AMA (WA) himself, Russ took the opportunity of detailing some of the changes in WA Health that had occurred over the last few years and “I agree with Michael. There are times when you will need your colleagues and you will need your Association, he said. Co-Chair of the AMA (WA) DiT Committee, Dr Chris Wilson also took the opportunity to remind the interns present to always look out for one another, talk about any problems with their peers or even the DiT Committee, and to always maintain relationships outside of the medical community. ■ some planned for the future. He also supported Dr Gannon’s comments.

their most personal moments. “But never underestimate how challenging your life will be. “It gives me no pleasure to say that I sense great apprehension and uncertainty in interns and medical students today – something my generation of doctors didn’t face. “In my day you knew that if you worked hard enough, you would be able to craft out a career in an area that you wanted.

Words of advice: WA’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Gary Geelhoed, Shadow Health Minister Roger Cook, WA Health’s Director General Dr David Russell-Weisz and AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Gannon.

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