SELECTION CRITERIA QUESTIONS 2025

1. Eligible for registration with the medical board of Australia

I am currently working as a Resident Medical Officer employed by Fiona Stanley Hospital. I

completed my Internship in Cairns Base Hospital in 2022 and gained my AMC accredited
registration at the beginning of 2023. I have worked PGY2 and PGY3 years at FSH/ SMHS.

2. Demonstrated clinical and procedural experience as a registered medical

practitioner for a minimum of 6 months in an Australian hospital or comparable
hospital setting within the last 3 years

I completed 12 months of my internship at Cairns Base hospital. I completed my PGY2 year

at FSH, having also completed terms in Rockingham and the Mount Hospital. I am currently
in my PGY3 year which is also at Fiona Stanley Hospital. My last 2 terms of this year have
been at FSH in the state burns service, and more recently in FSH ED. Of note, particular
strengths highlighted in these assessments is my ability to effectively communicate and
work in a team, as well as my safe clinical judgement and reasoning.

3. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, carers,

colleagues and others involved in health services in order to facilitate the provision
of high-quality care.

Throughout my clinical rotations, effective communication has been a cornerstone of my

approach to patient care. I believe my communication skills and ability to interact with
people is what makes me an excellent doctor. Patients appreciate clear, open and empathic
communication and this is an area that I believe I excel in.

During my Burns rotation this year, I had the privilege of caring for a gentleman who had
suffered flame burns covering 20% of his body. The patient, Mr. H, was understandably
anxious, overwhelmed, and in significant pain. In attending to Mr. H, it was crucial to
communicate with clarity and compassion, offering explanations in a calm and reassuring
manner. Recognizing that Mr. H often forgot details discussed during morning ward rounds,
I devised a plan to use a whiteboard in his room to display the weekly schedule. This
included noting the days for dressing changes, physiotherapy sessions, and opportunities to
go outside, providing him with a visual reference for the week's plans. This combination of
verbal and non-verbal communication helped Mr. H feel more informed and supported
throughout his stay.

In terms of communication with family members, Mr. H’s wife was understandably
distressed by the situation. Her anxiety was exacerbated by her inability to attend morning
ward rounds, leaving her feeling out of the loop regarding his progress and plans. I made it a
point to update her daily during her visits, ensuring she was aware of his recovery progress,
any setbacks, and changes to his management plan. By taking the time to explain
interventions, answer her questions, and address her concerns, she felt more informed
about her husband’s condition. On the final day of Mr. H’s 50-day stay, his wife expressed
her gratitude, thanking me for the daily explanations which had eased her anxiety
throughout his recovery journey.

In addition to communication with patient and family, it was equally important to

communicate effectively with my colleagues to ensure high quality of care for Mr H. I
ensured that handover sheets were updated with progress on his condition as well as
discussing his case at bi-weekly multidisciplinary team meetings. By providing detailed
updates on his condition and also relaying his families concerns to the MDT, I ensured that
all team members including doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians,
social workers and psychologists were on the same page.

In both my ED and Burns rotations this year I have received positive feedback regarding my
ability to communicate well with patients and their families. Both verbal and non-verbal
communication is essential to make patients feel comfortable and at ease in stressful
environments such as in the emergency department or on the wards. This feedback is
invaluable, as it demonstrates my ability to form rapport effectively.

Demonstrated organisational and time management skills to provide safe, timely patient-
centred care

As a medical professional, I recognise the importance of organisational and time

management skills in ensuring safe and timely patient centred care, I pride myself on my
organisational skills and ability to prioritise. This allows me to get tasks done in a time-
efficient manner which is a vital skill to have in a junior doctor.

I have the ability to rank tasks in order of most to least urgent to provide safe, patient
centred care, always ensuring I will see the most unwell patients first. In saying this
however, I will always take time to ensure that patients and their families are updated on
management plans and fully understand what is going on. Although I may be busy, if a
family or a patient has questions, I will prioritise making time to sit down and have a
discussion with them. I believe that taking time to update family members using clear, open
communication makes a real difference and ensures that expectations are met.

In addition, I prioritise liasing with allied health professionals and maintaining accurate and
up to date medical documentation so that everyone is working towards the same patient
centred goal. My organisational ability and structured approach to completing tasks ensures
that mistakes aren’t missed, which ultimately makes for better, safer healthcare for my
patients. In my previous end of term assessments, I have been commended on my
organisational ability and time management skills.

4. Demonstrated participation in continuing medical education activities to maintain

and upgrade knowledge and skills

As someone who intends to pursue a career in emergency medicine I am committed to

lifelong learning and continuous professional development to ensure I am providing a high
quality of health care for my patients.
Throughout my medical studies and residency thus far, I continue to seek out opportunities
and experiences to further expand my clinical knowledge. Some of these include studying
for the “Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care” course, the “AAA and eFAST
ultrasound” workshop, weekly RMO teaching and hospital ground rounds. This July I am also
due to complete my ALS-2 course as well as a BAR-ED course, aimed at furthering skills
needed before stepping up to an ED registrar. I actively seek out any practical skills
workshops, as I appreciate the value in continuously refreshing and updating your skills.
Some skill sessions I have attended include plastering sessions and ultrasound guided
cannulation.

In addition to attending teaching sessions, I also enjoy passing on knowledge through

teaching medical students. As someone who was a medical student only 3 years ago, I
always had an appreciation for doctors who would take time to explain concepts to me, and
it is for this reason that I strive to teach medical students where I can. For example, I have
had a medical student assigned to me in ED for the last 6 weeks helping him to fine tune his
history taking and physical exam skills as well as start to think about investigation ordering
and formulation of diagnosis and plan. I believe that the ability to explain or teach a topic to
another person is a good indicator of ones own understanding of that topic. Having a
medical student shadow me has been a positive learning experience for me as it has
demonstrated where the gaps in my knowledge are. Consequently I made a point to review
topics to enhance my own understanding so that I could provide the most accurate and
comprehensive teaching to my student

I have gained an appreciation for continued professional development and understand that
no matter what level of training, whether that be intern or consultant, there is always
something new to learn. This is an exciting aspect of medicine and is something I look
forward to continuing throughout my career and training. Further education and training
will not only help me be a more valuable team member but will also allow me to provide
better health care for my patients.

5. Commitment to safety and quality in healthcare through awareness of safe clinical

practice within own limitations and continuous improvement of patient outcomes

I believe that in order to be a good doctor, who has the best interests of their patients in
mind it is vital to know your own limitations and work within the scope of your own
practice. This strong sense of accountability means I consistently exercise sound judgement
and operate within my own limitations, seeking guidance and supervision when necessary
and embrace feedback. I believe that being able to recognise when you are outside of your
scope of practice is important to ensure safe care is delivered to the patient.

Acknowledging my own limitations and knowing when to escalate is a valuable skill which
makes me a safe doctor, who has her patients best interests at heart. With each new
experience and learning opportunity, my scope of practice expands, hence the need for
constant self-reflection and re-evaluation. I am constantly asking my senior colleagues for
their feedback on my performance, whether this be informally at the bedside or whether
this be formally with end of term assessments. I believe that both of these play a role in
helping me to recognise areas that I am doing well, and also areas that may need
improvement.