If you have recently qualified from medical school, you will understandably be thinking about what avenue you want to pursue. In Australia, there are many different directions you can take your new career as a doctor. If you want to work in hospitals, there are both private and public hospitals where you can work. You can also opt to work in a remote community for a completely different experience. For most doctors, however, entering the public hospital system is always a popular option. 

If you are considering applying for a position as a doctor in a public hospital in Australia, it’s worth knowing a little about the public health system and how it works. After getting some experience working in the hospital environment, you may decide to open your own practice where you can serve your local community. This can be an exciting venture and with all of the tools and resources out there nowadays, managing your own practice is more straightforward than ever.

For example, you can use practice management software to keep things running smoothly or you could try scheduling software for your healthcare practice. With these tools, it’s easier than ever for new doctors to open their very own practice and embrace their inner entrepreneur. However, first, it’s important to get some experience as a new doctor and fine-tune your skills.

Let’s take a look at a few things that you should know about public hospitals in Australia as a newly qualified doctor. 

An Overview Of The Healthcare System

Australia is known to have one of the very best health systems anywhere in the world. Through Australia’s health system, all Australians can access affordable and safe healthcare. The public hospital system, along with Medicare, the foundation of our health system, offer Australians low-cost or free access to GPs, medical specialists, allied health workers, and nurses. 

There is also the option to pay for private health insurance, giving you more choice outside of the public system. Patients that want private health care in and out of the hospital must pay for the cost of their health care. There are two primary types of private health insurance covered in Australia. With the first, patients will have some or all of the costs of their hospital treatments covered as private patients. The second type is where patients are covered for general treatments for non-medical health services that are not covered under the Medicare system. This might include things like physiotherapy, dental, or visiting an optometrist.

A Look At Public Hospitals 

If you are considering working in a public hospital, you can expect a high level of medical care. The patients you will be treated will be there at either a low or no cost to them if they have Medicare. For new doctors that are interested specifically in working in the accident and emergency department, public hospitals are always the best choice as this is typically where patients go when there is an emergency. However, non-urgent treatments and acute are also incredibly common in public hospitals, with a range of specialties that you can explore.

Why Choose A Public Hospital? 

Public hospitals are funded by the government and are busy places to work. Waiting periods for elective surgeries and acute issues so when it comes to learning opportunities for new doctors, public hospitals are the perfect place to go. Public hospitals are usually equipped to deal with much more complex medical issues and procedures than private hospitals, opening you up to a world of potential opportunities. If you are not sure what direction you want to take your direction, a public hospital will expose you to countless different medical specialties and unique cases that you might never experience in the private sector. 

Doctor Hierarchy In Australian Hospitals

Before you start work in a public hospital, it’s always wise to understand the hierarchy of doctors in the environment you are going into. There are four different levels of doctors in Australian hospitals; interns, residents registrars, and consultants. You will start as an intern moving on to becoming a resident, then a registrar before finally, the most senior position of consultant. 

You will usually be part of a team that will have a particular focus such as psychiatry, cardiology, orthopedics, or another medical specialty, The team will consist of a consultant, registrar, resident, and of course you, the intern. Leading the team is the consultant and they are also responsible for all of the patients under their care. The rest of the team typically supports the consultant by doing most of the heavy lifting and then reports back to the consultant. This allows the consultant to help multiple patients at once and prioritize the most critical cases. 

Consider Starting Your Medical Career In Australia’s Public Hospitals

Australia’s public hospitals are an amazing environment for any new doctor to begin their career. Countless opportunities to get involved in different medical fields and meet other doctors who have worked in different areas will help you to choose your path. This exciting, dynamic, and ever-busy environment will give you the foundation you need to move your medical career in the right direction moving forward.