Local to the region, Dalton expressed how fortunate he was to have been placed at Nepean Hospital where there are a number of unique opportunities available to interns.
“Nepean Hospital is a great mix of a well-established city tertiary organisation combined with a little country hometown feeling,” says Dalton.
“As a junior there is a smorgasbord of patients and plenty of work to do that you might not be able to do at other places. The people here have a real passion for their work and that’s a pretty unique attribute to have, working for such a large public hospital.”
In his short time at NBMLHD Dalton has appreciated the support of his colleagues and the refreshing honesty of the challenges he will experience over the coming years.
“From the very beginning you are told you are going to be busy, but in saying that they let you know that you are not alone. It’s just part of the culture and if you need help you just ask. It’s a very calm, collegial experience and that’s only a good thing in any learning environment,” explains Dalton.
Motivated by his four young children and a partner who is also a medical professional Dalton is keen to make the most out of his placement.
“I’m lucky in that the hospital is simultaneously small enough that you know pretty much your entire cohort but big enough where there is flexibility to explore and learn new disciplines to help broaden your knowledge and care for people.”
Over the next year Dalton will be rotating through various departments across the hospital, putting his studies into practice starting at drug and alcohol before moving on to geriatrics, surgery and the emergency department.
Dalton is one of 70 new medical interns who have started work at Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
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.
The new doctors starting their internship will be entering a training program with networked hospitals throughout the state, providing formal and on-the-job training.