Far West LHD welcomes new intern and junior doctors
The Far West Local Health District has welcomed Indigenous doctor, Dr Natalie Gordon, who has chosen to live and work in the Far West for the next three years as she completes her medical training.
Broken Hill Health Service has appointed Dr Gordon as an intern* this year and will be supporting her as she completes her prevocational training on the Aboriginal Medical Workforce Recruitment Pathway in the Far West.
This program links Aboriginal medical graduates with support during the transition from medical school to becoming junior doctors.
Dr Gordon is one of five interns in a group of 23 Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) undertaking their 10-week placement at FWLHD. The group will rotate to Concord and Canterbury Hospitals, but Dr Gordon will remain with FWLHD for the year.
Dr Gordon is a Ngunnawal woman and said she is excited to move to Broken Hill and work with the FWLHD and Barkindji Nation.
“I am deeply passionate about Aboriginal health and rural people having access to a doctor who cares deeply for them, not just when they are sick but when they are well too,” Dr Gordon said.
Originally from Goulburn, Dr Gordon was a teacher for 18 years before studying medicine to become a doctor. During medical school she worked part time as an Aboriginal Immunisation Health Worker.
“I’m looking forward to exploring life in the Far West over the coming years, making some meaningful friendships and refining my skills as a doctor,” Dr Gordon said.
“I anticipate becoming a rural GP with a subspecialty of Palliative Care. An absolute highlight for me so far working at the hospital has been meeting all the Kiosk volunteers who make the greatest lunch and small treats on earth. I often tell my family it’s like having a beautiful lunch made by your Nan.”
- Our first Interns for 2025 (from left) Dr Clement Chan (Medical Intern), Dr Yon Su, (Medical Intern), Dr Natalie Gordon (Emergency Intern) and Dr Morgan Overmass (Surgical Intern).Absent from the photo is Dr Hayes Zhao relieving in the Intern position for Term 1.
- The first group of JMOs to start their rotation at Broken Hill Health Service for 2025.
FWLHD Executive Director of Medical Services, Dr Sarah Wenham, said the LHD is proud to support Dr Gordon and all the JMOs and be a part of their education and training so early in their professional journey.
“We hope that it will inspire them to consider a longer-term commitment to rural healthcare in the future,” Dr Wenham said.
“Far West LHD is dedicated to expanding our medical training program so we can continue to provide high-quality healthcare to our community and future-proof our local medical workforce.”
Broken Hill Health Service Director of Prevocational Education and Training, Dr Aliza Lord, said the LHD was looking forward to supporting the junior doctors through their rural placement and helping them to gain confidence and skills in a range of clinical settings.
"This is another example of how our highly networked health system is working to support rural and regional communities in NSW,” Dr Lord said.
In 2025, FWLHD welcomed seven additional JMO positions compared to 2024 (bringing the total to 23). Two have been funded through the Building and Sustaining the Rural Health Workforce Program, which is aimed at increasing medical practitioner capacity in rural and regional hospitals and two positions through the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program.
The John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program is a Commonwealth funded medical training program aimed at streamlining and coordinating medical training in regions through rural primary care and general practice rotations, boosting the training capacity for the next generation of doctors.
*Interns are medical graduates who have completed their medical degree and are required to complete a supervised year of practice in order to become independent practitioners. NSW Health provides 2 year contracts for all Interns to complete their 2 years of pre-vocational training.