Minister welcomes new graduates for hospitals

Queensland Health is set to receive a welcome influx of more than 450 recently-graduated medical interns and almost 1000 nursing graduates at hospitals around the State.

Health Minister Stephen Robertson welcomed the new recruits, who began their orientation week today.

Mr Robertson said Queensland Health was offering 459 medical internships for all 2009 graduates, 47 more than in 2008, while the 983 nurse graduates starting with Queensland Health in the new year was up 7 per cent on 2008.

“In 2005, the Queensland Government committed to providing all Queensland domestic medical graduates with an internship in Queensland,” Mr Robertson said.

“The focus of this internship is the practically training of junior doctors for future roles as senior medical officers and general practitioners,” he said.

In December, 412 Queensland domestic medical students graduated from university.

A small number of interns starting in Queensland will be graduates from interstate or overseas, while some Queensland graduates had accepted internships elsewhere.

Mr Robertson said the growth in the number of medical intern and nurse graduate placements meant additional doctors and nurses were starting their career in Queensland.

“In a November poll Queensland Health was named the most popular employer after Qantas for university graduates.[1]

“This was really pleasing and just goes to show our hard work is really paying off,” Mr Robertson said.

“A second recruitment campaign for mid-year nurse graduates is scheduled for March, with more than 200 nurses expected to commence work in July/September.

The Queensland Health Rural Scholarship Scheme, which aims to support careers in rural and remote Queensland, has been completed by 15 nurse graduates.

Medical Deans in Australia and New Zealand anticipate the number of Queensland domestic medical graduates will increase to close to 730 by 2014, with more international full fee-paying students are also expected to graduate.

Mr Robertson said he was pleased more graduates had been considering establishing their careers in regional areas where they can enjoy the great lifestyle on good salaries.

“When they graduate, some university students are keen to return to the regional areas where they did their practical placements.

“This is great news for rural and regional Queenslanders,” he said.

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Media contact: Kate Van Poelgeest 3224 1185 or 0458 449 267