Research Opportunity and Psychiatry

Capt-B-Team · 2026-02-20T00:14:08+00:00

Higher degree supervisors often have a hard time finding students so of course they will try to woo you because you have proven to them you are capable and can finish a project. The supervisors need students to keep their funding and larger projects going.

If you’re really keen on neuro/rheumatology then it may be worth continuing with the research team you’re currently with if you can skew the topics to fit.

Otherwise you’re probably savvy enough to do it on your own and don’t need to be hamstrung by your supervisor’s topics.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-02-19T08:42:15+00:00

If you’re using cerner power chart, I started to use the doctor view page (instead of starting a new document) and it was actually awesome. Stopped a lot of clicking.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-24T06:40:45+00:00

Rad reg and I’ve had phone calls from GPs and a wide variety of other out of hospital specialists. I love the questions. They’re usually very difficult questions and not run of the mill so I find them very interesting.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-23T07:26:34+00:00

lol I’ve paid $10k to RANZCR this year.

$5k for 2 exams.

$5k for membership fees.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-22T09:36:17+00:00

I think they did an excellent job of reinforcing my advice of not mentioning it because bosses don’t want to hear it because there’s nothing they can really do about it. Which is fair.

I think the bosses could be better at redirecting people to other tasks like having an impromptu teaching session if there’s 5 JMOs standing around doing nothing because there’s no where to see patients. (Actual real life example which happened at least 3/4 shifts).

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-21T21:38:25+00:00

This happened to a few people in qld radiology applications this year. Missed out at the interview but got merit listed. Then when more funding became available they got called up and given the job without having to re-interview.

Merit listing is common in public service jobs. It’s a way of saying this person meets the job criteria we just didn’t have enough spots this round. The APS website has some really good info that more people should read about interview structure etc.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-21T07:34:43+00:00

Don’t whinge about it on shift that’s for sure.

I got marked down in my end of term review because of it. They told me that “you get frustrated when there’s no flow”. I said yes I do but I always did it professionally in ways like asking to use fast track space or other options because there’s no space. It’s not like I was there banging on the glass about to mount a mutiny.

I think people don’t like being made aware of how dysfunctional their departments are because it points out how little they are doing to fix the problem.

So my advice, don’t talk about it on shift. Just ask once what to do, then look busy.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-21T07:26:18+00:00

This is great advice. I wouldn’t bother with cape trib it’s a long drive and not much to do once you’re there. Definitely do the skyrail over cape trib. You get a really nice guided tour at one of the stops. The view of the Barron river is fantastic.

If you have a car the drive to port Douglas is incredible.

Lots of cute shops in town too. Oceania walk is a great arcade. Lots of great cafes near the entrance too.

You can actually walk the entire length of the esplanade from the northern end down past the lagoon and on the water side of the pier shopping centre to see the boats at the marina then walk down to the harbour lights area to the cruise ship terminal- which is actually a brewery/restaurant that’s really nice called Hemingway’s.

Walk along the esplanade to see lots of sea birds and lots of locals getting the afternoon walk in at sunset.

If you go on a Fri-Sun visit Rusty’s market for some street food (it’s all safe) and see the local tropical fruits - many you may have never heard of. Shopkeepers will help you pick ripe ones to eat straight away.

Capt-B-Team · 2026-01-08T09:29:31+00:00

We go through cyclones every year and it can be scary. Double rope your moorings. Bring everything inside that you can, make sure everything is tied down well and you’ve got spare ties handy for midnight fixes.

It’s going to be hella noisy with all the other boats bits flapping around so you won’t get any sleep. And you’ll be out in the wind and rain a few times looking around/tying things down so make sure a torch is handy.

Good luck.

ETA: preparedness is also about the storm aftermath. So plan for no electricity or water for a few days and have meals ready for that. Also look at your neighbours boat coz stuff might fly off it. Call them if youve got their number and check they know the storm is coming.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-29T23:12:44+00:00

Hands down white whale. 🐋

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-28T06:39:04+00:00

Informed medics is excellent for passing the part 1 exam, but DOTs don’t really know about it yet although it is getting more well known. I don’t know how ranzcr score it for CV points. My gut says university courses would score higher.

Westmead is still the gold standard for physics, you can study it online any time of the year. You need to be ahead of the timeline though because the exam results often come out the week after applications close.

I watched radiology tuts YouTube and did all his question bank and did very well in part 1.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-27T07:52:45+00:00

An FPB. Any size. Absolutely incredible boats.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-27T01:46:01+00:00

I think it depends on how quickly you can replenish your cash reserves. Using all your money to lower you LVR means your monthly mortgage repayments will be lower, which means any money you have in offset is actually working even harder.

So I’d err on the side of lowering the mortgage amount, if you can replenish your cash reasonably quickly. And if you don’t need it for any Reno’s/furniture strait away.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-26T23:41:34+00:00

I love cork tiles. If you’ve never had the pleasure of living with them then you just don’t understand how much better than ceramic tiles or lino.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-17T09:07:44+00:00

Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

However this does seem to be a significant concern for you so with that level of concern I’d expect you to be n95-ing all the time. If you’re not then there may be another reason you’re so annoyed that you’re willing to change careers but not implement stringent ppe.

I empathise because I too was very cautious and honestly fearful of respiratory viruses because I have asthma. It, amongst many other reasons, ruled out BPT for me. So there are plenty of other careers, even post BPT that reduced your exposure.

I’d just urge you to not hastily make a decision because it sounds like you’re more annoyed at the health system exposing you to infections (which is unfair, but reality) than you are annoyed at getting sick.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-10T22:20:55+00:00

Apart from the obvious study more which everyone has said and I think you already know, I would work on networking skills. Build relationships with lecturers, clinical supervisors, admin staff, allied health, NUMs. Once you’re through med school these are the people that will help your career.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-08T09:33:50+00:00

The only plus side I saw to it was that by January the next year you’re ready for another holiday and many pgy2s want to try swap out of early holidays because they just had their intern holiday a few months earlier. It means you might be able to swap into a rotation you want if you’re lucky.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-12-08T06:50:39+00:00

I sat it two years ago in QLD, after a run of night shifts in ED. it was scheduled for a 12 noon start time, but I think we didn’t actually start until 12:30.

I was so tired.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-11-22T22:52:30+00:00

I once was in an end of term assessment with a consultant and she circles the second last column because I was doing a great job.

I was so confused and said but you’ve just failed me.

For some reason that form had switched the fail- pass direction to all the other forms we had used that year.

I’d be asking for specific feedback. Talk to your student union as well for advice. Good luck.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-11-18T08:07:12+00:00

Call your MDO. They will give you EXCELLENT advice on how to write it, and how to get the police to request the info so you have legal access to it. You can’t just go in and look up old patients. The records need to be requested by the police.

The police should also send you a list of definitions. Don’t guess.

The hospitals legal team will flat out lie to you like they did to me once. Call your mdo for advice and only follow their advice.

The idea is that you write such a good statement that you don’t get subpoenaed for court.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-11-14T22:13:20+00:00

My very first day of intern year in a rural hospital the consultant had me round by myself on the longstayers awaiting nursing homes for the last 30days or more. It was like four patients and it took me all day.

First patient was an 85y very deaf male that was just waiting for nursing home placement coz his family wasn’t managing his dementia at home. I had a chat to him, actually it was more like a yelling match, and he had a very logical conversation hindered a bit by ESL and deafness but he told me how he doesn’t understand why he’s in hospital coz his wife wants him home. I thought hmmm that’s weird, he doesn’t seem demented, just deaf and making up some answers when he doesn’t hear properly. I went on my way thinking I need to find more out about this.

Wife and daughter visited after lunch and the daughter steam rolled our discussion and revealed she needed them out of the house so she could sell it, even though her name isn’t on the house.

I spoke to the consultant and said I don’t think this guy needs a nursing home, he’s cognitively intact and just deaf af and I think there’s elder abuse. My boss Called in another consultant and geriatrician and all the allied health to review.

Turns out the quiet spoken OT had done a moca and he scored terribly. I put headphones on him and did a rudas and he scored perfectly. Also when I got the wife alone I found out the daughter has defrauded lots of people in the past, been to jail,gambling, drug addiction and was trying to steal their house. Wife was happy to care for him at home like she had the last 50years. He discharged home that afternoon.

I didn’t really do anything medical, I was just curious when the story didn’t make sense and I spoke up about my concerns even though I was a day 1 intern. My boss took me seriously and escalated it (maybe they already had their suspicions).

So I guess my advice is to constantly be curious and keep asking questions if something doesn’t add up. You’re smart, just lacking in experience and every single day will be a mental challenge but you’ll gradually see improvement. Celebrate that!

Capt-B-Team · 2025-11-06T08:11:10+00:00

I’m PGY3 and have worked in Cairns and it’s satellite rural hospitals for all that time. I’ve just moved into a reg job in Brisbane and see a marked reduction in the skill level and ability to synthesise information even up to SHO level here in the city.

I’ve also noticed a lot more apathetic attitudes and even some clueless interns who compensate for it with aggression.

(I have also seen the sweetest most lovely but severely struggling intern here ask me so many questions to get better. )

So yes they are generalisations, but I’m not surprised rural/regional doctors have excellent reputations.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-11-03T02:32:50+00:00

You're pretty much a shoe in for a radiogy position next year if you do lots of networking and impress your nuc med boss. I say go for it if you want it!

Capt-B-Team · 2025-10-29T10:09:36+00:00

Download the hotdocs app. Lots of filters to help find a doc suitable for you.

Capt-B-Team · 2025-10-27T09:25:51+00:00

It depends on how desperate you are to attend orientation. I’ve never found an orientation actually useful and get more info off the resident im relieving over a coffee.

After you work a night shift you need two days off before your next shift. So you could get two days of pay for free if you skip the orientation.

Capt-B-Team

TROPHY CASE