Medical training networks in Hunter New England

Hunter New England LHD has many opportunities to develop your skills, increase your knowledge and achieve professional growth. We can provide opportunities at whatever stage you are in your career in rural and metropolitan training sites.

The PVTN sits within Hunter New England LHD and is closely affiliated with the University of Newcastle and the University Of New England Medical Schools.

The PVTN includes 8 hospitals, which trainees can rotate to:

Education and Training

The PVTN provides training to meet the Australian Medical Council National Framework. 

We have a group of dedicated educators and clinicians who volunteer their time to present to our trainees each week. We offer the following education sessions throughout the clinical year:

• Comprehensive intern orientation covers various essential topics to prepare interns as they commence their careers as doctors.
• Intern boot camp focuses on developing communication and teamwork skills needed to be effective in the clinical situations you will soon face, particularly after hours or on rural rotations.
• Network Intern Education Program – quarantined weekly education for Interns
• Network Resident Education Program – quarantined weekly education for RMOs
• In-house education sessions are run at each facility by various departments to assist interns interested in sub-specialty pathways.

Vocational Education and Training

Working in Network 12 will give you exposure to the Hunter New England region and help set up your future career opportunities by preparing you for excellent ongoing training within any of the vocational below networks:

• Acute SRMO Training Network (PGY3+)
• Basic Physician Training Network
• Emergency Medicine Training Network
• Paediatric Training Networks
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology Training Network
• Hunter New England Training in Psychiatry (HNET)
• Surgical Skills Training Program
• HNE Simulation Centre (PDF 772.94KB)

Research Opportunities

We are committed to supporting high quality health and medical research and the translation of research evidence into everyday clinical practice. We have the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) on the John Hunter Hospital Campus. 

Prevocational trainees have the opportunity to participate in various research and quality and safety initiatives.

For more information about PVTN, contact HNELHD-PrevocNetwork@health.nsw.gov.au or (02) 4924 5865.

You'll have the opportunity to develop your expertise, hone your skills and participate in a network education series while giving you a solid foundation from which to launch into the next phase of your career.

Rotations include:

• general medicine
• acute medicine
• subspecialty
• emergency medicine
• paediatrics
• ICU.

All terms are located within the greater Newcastle area:

• Maitland Hospital
• Belmont Hospital
• John Hunter Hospital
• John Hunter Children's Hospital.

Terms will be supported and supervised by senior consultants in conjunction with your team of fellows and registrars. You'll also have access to:

• a dedicated network manager
• opportunities to be sponsored for courses such as Emergency Medicine Certificate and Diploma of Child Health.

For more information contact Michelle Turner, SRMO Network Manager on 0429 897 019 or HNELHD-SRMONetwork@health.nsw.gov.au

For more information contact Michelle Turner, SRMO Network Manager on 0429 897 019 or HNELHD-SRMONetwork@health.nsw.gov.au

We train and support over 60 trainees across 6 hospitals, spanning 2 local health districts, centered around Newcastle. 

We have a strong focus on high quality training aimed at developing trainees into outstanding clinicians with a wide-ranging experience base and exposure to both metropolitan and rural training settings.

Benefits of our training:

• World-class facilities across a diverse range of training sites.
• Mentoring will be provided at all sites by our Network Director and Directors of Physician Education, who will provide regular feedback and guidance and will help you succeed in your medical career.
• We have an extensive track record in world class research centred at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HRMI).
• You'll have opportunities to teach students through our close affiliation with the University of Newcastle and University of New England.

Rotations available

Scholarships

Contact us to learn about our basic physician training education funding and scholarship opportunities.

We have the ability to deliver high quality education to every corner of our network to ensure that all trainees have access to education irrespective of their rotations.

Our educational program includes, but is not limited to:

• Weekly basic physician training education lecture series delivered by a highly qualified cohort of specialist physicians.
• Weekly MCQ tutorial sessions in the 6 months leading into the clinical exams.
• Delivery of at least 2 computer-based trial written exams leading into the FRACP written exam.
• Clinical exam preparation.
• Weekly rostered long and short cases.
• Weekly weekend trial exams
• Subspecialty long case master classes and specialty short case afternoons.

The Hunter Network generally operates on the 6/12/6 model where a trainee can expect to be sent to peripheral sites for the first 6 months and then be rotated back to the main teaching hospitals for 12 months of their exam preparation and then be rotated back out to the peripheries for the last 6 months. 

This is based on a 2-year contract with trainees coming to the network having completed their basic physician training year 1 already, along with trainees sitting their exams at the first available opportunity.  

The Hunter Network supports trainees who identify they require additional time to prepare prior to sitting their exams and therefore rotations can be adjusted to allow this to occur which will sit outside the 6/12/6 model.

Allocations are released prior to the beginning of the year and are formulated based on an individual trainee’s preferences and College training requirements.

All trainees can expect to have met their college requirements at the end of their contracts prior to moving to advanced training.

For more information, please contact Cheryl Brook, Network Manager on 0419 677 598 or email HNELHD-BPTNetwork@health.nsw.gov.au

Our network has an innovative and current training program in line with the Advanced and Complex Medical Emergencies (ACME) curriculum with excellent primary and fellowship exam pass rates. 

We can also support unaccredited trainees in the Emergency Medicine Course, Emergency Medical Diploma and Advanced Emergency Medical Diploma. 

Some of the benefits of joining our network include:

• You'll work within a network of hospitals all interrelated and supportive of each other.
• Our emergency departments are growing and expanding beyond the realm of just clinical service delivery to teach and support trainees in undertaking research, ultrasound skills, trauma, and education terms.
• We pride ourselves on a culture of learning and education, role modelling and mentorship with professionalism. We want to grow our trainees into not only excellent doctors, but excellent people.

Our Network Manager is happy to help with:

• relocating to the area as required
• registration and visa requirements
• orientating you to the hospitals and Hunter New England area
• distribution of allocations
• approval of annual and study leave.

We provide emergency medicine rotations that encompass all aspects of the field, from tertiary and trauma, urban district to regional and rural experiences. Special skills terms are available across these sites. We provide opportunities for all your training to be completed without leaving our network.

We're proud that our current exam pass-rates for primary and fellowship exams are currently 100%. 

Special skills terms available

• Anaesthetics: John Hunter Hospital (JHH) (50% JHH anaesthetics and 50% JHH emergency medicine), Maitland Hospital, Port Macquarie Hospital and Tamworth Hospital.
• Education: John Hunter Hospital and Maitland Hospital (50% JHH education and 50% JHH emergency medicine).
• ICU: Calvary Mater Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital, Tamworth Hospital (6 months only), Manning Hospital, Port Macquarie (foundation unaccredited term).
• PICU: John Hunter Hospital.
• Paediatrics: Emergency Department John Hunter Hospital, Paediatrics Ward John Hunter Hospital and Maitland Hospital.
• Retrieval: Hunter New England (50% retrieval and 50% JHH emergency medicine) and Tamworth Hospital (6 months only).
• Rural and remote special skills term: Kempsey Hospital (50% ED, 50% anaesthetics)​.
• Ultrasound: Maitland/John Hunter Hospital (50% ultrasound ad 50% emergency medicine).

For more information, please contact ​​​​​​​Dr Cameron Dart, Network Director or Denise Porter, Network Manager on HNELHD-EmergNetwork@health.nsw.gov.au

Accredited specialist training (FRANZCOG)

Some of the benefits of our training program include:

• Comprehensive training in our 15-bed birth suite with dedicated obstetric theatre and 7-bed maternal triage unit.
• Affiliations with NICU and John Hunter Childrens’ Hospital for high risk obstetrics exposure.
• Subspecialty experience offered in gynaecologic oncology, infertility, maternal foetal medicine MFM), paediatric and adolescent gynaecology, advanced laparoscopic surgery (AGES accredited training).
• Large MFM unit undertaking comprehensive first trimester risk assessment, foetal diagnosis, preterm birth prevention, and collaborative obstetric medicine clinics.
• Comprehensive gynaecologic cancer care delivered via a team of 4 subspecialists, nurse specialists and psychology services.
• Multiple specialised gynaecologic clinics including infertility, vulvovaginal disorders, adolescent gynaecology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander womens’ health and gynaecologic ultrasound.​​​​​​
• Rural rotation opportunities are available at Maitland Hospital, Manning Hospital and Tamworth Hospital.

Rostering

• We operate a 7-day shift work roster.
• SRMOs rotate through our maternity assessment day unit, birth suite, obstetric and gynaecologic theatre assisting, outpatient clinics as well as postnatal, antenatal and gynaecology wards.
• Unaccredited registrars mimic accredited training registrars with a focus on management of a birth suite and skill acquisition for future careers in either RANZCOG or DRANZCOG.
• Accredited trainees rotate every 3 months. They are attached to teams including obstetrics and gynaecology, maternal foetal medicine, gynaecologic oncology and rural and regional hospitals. 
• Rostering is focused on ensuring all core trainee requirements are met while facilitating individual interests and career planning.
• We are supportive facilitating attendance at conferences and all other educational opportunities. ​​​​​​​

• Projects linked to world leading research centred at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HRMI)
• Research activities focused on MFM, vulvovaginal disorders, and adolescent gynaecology.
• Robust schedule of consultant-led morbidity and mortality (M&M) meetings, multidisciplinary meetings, and fortnightly registrar education sessions.
• Fortnightly directed SRMO and unaccredited education sessions.
• Exam-focused, consultant led monthly afternoon education sessions for accredited trainees.
• Extensive opportunities to teach students through our close affiliation with the University of Newcastle (UoN) and University of New England.
• Clinical rotation site for UoN 4th year students with opportunities for on-the-run teaching, provision of formal teaching sessions, serving as OSCE examiners, and pursuing additional training in education.

Some of the benefits of joining our Paediatric Training Network include:

Clinical training across several sites

Trainees undertake training in a range of terms across the hospitals within the Network. 

Formal exam preparation

Exam preparation can be supra-regional, statewide or national if through the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. 

The networks make use of technology to deliver training to all sites in the network. There is an established teaching program directed at the FRACP written and clinical exam.

Professional development program

The networks all provide the following programs: Teaching on the Run, communication skills, leadership and management programs.

What rotations are available?

Paediatric physician basic trainee rotations during the first year include but are not limited to:

• John Hunter Children’s Hospital
• Gosford/Wyong 
• Maitland Hospital

Basic / Advanced Trainee (Registrar) rotations:

• John Hunter Children’s Hospital
• Gosford/Wyong
• Tamworth Hospital
• Taree Community Health Service
• Lismore
• Tweed Heads
• Maitland Hospital
• Port Macquarie
• Coffs Harbour
• Community Health Services

Where will I be rotated to?

During your employment, you will be required to work at different locations and clinical departments within NSW Health. 

To comply with the college training program requirements, you will need to work within other facilities. Every employee is given the opportunity to place preferences for rotations. Preferences will be called for around October each year.

All term allocations are considered by a panel including the Director of Physician Training, the current and incumbent Chief RMO. This process is complicated, and all efforts are made to be as fair as possible. 

Priority is based on outstanding college training requirements and time left in training. Consideration is also given to previous terms, experience, and personal preferences. 

As part of a Network, it is our priority to get everyone through their training in the least possible time therefore this will be taken into account when rotation allocations are made.

Rotations to other network sites

There is an opportunity to rotate to another Network's site/hospital. This should be written on your preference form and discussed with your Director of Physician Training and the Chief Resident Medical Officer (for example, if you're working in Northern Network and you would like to rotate to Orange Base Hospital). 

There are limited places available for this to occur and these are based on training requirements as well as years of experience.

The Hunter New England Surgical Skills Training Network is part of the Hunter New England LHD.

We aim to offer a comprehensive surgical education and training program for our:

• RACS SETs
• Pre-SETs (Unaccredited Registrars and SRMOs)
• PGY1s and PGY2s interested in pursuing surgical careers

Hospitals in our surgical network include:

The following hospitals are not part of the HNELHD network, but unaccredited and accredited RACS SET Trainees are rotated to these hospitals.

Term assessments are distributed each term for the unaccredited Senior Resident Medical Officers and Registrars. These are for feedback for the doctors from their supervisors and are reviewed by the Network Director for Surgical Training and the Clinical Superintendent for Surgical Services.

 

Research requirements are a valuable component of applications for RACS SET positions.

Our current Network Director Conjoint Assoc Prof Stephen Smith is also Director for the Hunter Surgical Clinical Research Unit.

Face-to-face and Zoom meetings are held weekly. 

For more information, contact:

Conjoint Associate Professor Stephen Smith: stephen.smith@health.nsw.gov.au

Ms Rosemary Carroll – Research CNC: rosemary.caroll@health.nsw.gov.au