Medicine – superficially, it appears simple enough for the stereotypical medical student (driven with a sprinkling of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). There are learning objectives, examinations and key performance indicators that need to be achieved in order to advance. The same can be said for fellowship training; don’t fail a rotation, complete workplace-based assessments, pass summative assessments and collect your letters. Pretty straightforward, right? 

Transitioning from pre-clinical to clinical years in Medicine can be challenging. We find ourselves adjusting to the long hours of placements and study, leaving whatever time is left for leisure and (hopefully) rest.  

Workplace bullying and harassment is a horrible blight on our profession that happens to others, but not me. Not me because I’m too careful, I don’t ruffle feathers, I’m competent and don’t make a fuss… until it did.

Hello! My name is Mudra and I am a junior doctor, and a human being. Most people (including me) often forget the latter. I am writing to tell you that at the beginning of my internship, I made a mistake. Spoiler alert, the patient lived.

WAMSS Mental Health is proud to present our video series: Beyond the Scrubs! With the goal of opening dialogue about mental health among medical students through sharing individual experiences, the series will involve students from all cohorts within the medical community, so grab some popcorn, relax, and tune in to watch the fascinating stories told by your mates unravel on screen!

My journey through medicine has been an interesting one, with periods of hardship but also personal growth…. For me, this started back in January 2018 when I had been accepted into Paediatric training and was just about to start the job of my dreams.  

Medical students are selected for qualities such as academic prowess and excellence. However, with academic success comes other qualities that, in large amounts, can hinder a doctor. Whilst attention to detail is important when charting medications or writing a good discharge summary, perfectionism can negatively impact our mental health. 

January 2020.
I had just finished internship and had recently been accepted onto the Basic Physician Training program after months of hard work preparing my application and interview. I felt on top of the world. Having spent 3 weeks on the family trip of a lifetime, I was fully rested with a palpable excitement to come back to Perth and start my specialty training.