Thirty-five interns started their year of interning this week.

Sixteen of the interns were students at the Launceston Clinical School. 

Others are University of Tasmania graduates who have come from Burnie and Hobart, and a few interns moved to Launceston from the mainland. 

Internships give university graduates a diversity of medical experience.

The interns take compulsory terms in medicine, surgery and emergency medicine.

They are able to choose how they spend their fourth term. Interns, provided they successfully complete their assessments, go on to become post-graduate resident doctors.

LGH intern Dr Melanie Withers, of Launceston, said she became interested in a medical career when she was in year 12.

The 24-year-old said she was interested in “everything” at the moment, but was leaning towards pursuing a career in emergency medicine. 

“They’re really supportive here and allow you to explore your interests,” Dr Withers said. 

An interest in sports inspired Launceston’s Ronnie Mathew to enter the medical field. 

“I started doing it and I really loved it,” Dr Mathew said.

The 23-year-old said the opportunity to interact and become familiar with patients was an exciting prospect following his studies. 

He said he anticipated that the added responsibility would be a challenging experience. 

LGH Medical Education Advisor Robin Ikin said the interns were first-year doctors who were not yet fully registered. 

Ms Ikin said interns were “integral” to teams around the hospital.

“The intern is really learning to have the responsibilities of being a doctor,” Ms Ikin said. 

“It’s about gaining confidence, it’s about honing your communication skills.”

Interns in the emergency department could complete tasks such as examining and checking a patient’s history, before reporting to a senior doctor, she said. 

“We usually get the sort of feedback [from interns] ... ‘I feel so much more confident and I’ve learnt so much,’” Ms Ikin said.