Individuals allocated to Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) can expect to receive a robust, engaging and well supported internship experience across a broad range of specialties. SALHN prides itself on a culture that strives to achieve best practice in medical education and offers an outstanding and diverse training program with a focus on staff wellbeing.
Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) is an acute tertiary hospital 12km or approximately 30 minutes south of the Adelaide Central Business District with 680 beds while Noarlunga Hospital (NH) is located 17km (25 minutes) south of FMC and has 80 beds. Interns may also be allocated to the Repatriation Health Precinct (RHP) for a geriatric rotation, 5km (15 minutes) north east of FMC with 76 beds or have the option to rotate to Jamie Larcombe Centre (JLC) at Glenside Hospital for a psychiatry rotation. The JLC has been purpose built with 24 beds and is located 14km (25 minutes) north east of FMC.
SALHN is undergoing some major redevelopments in the next several years across all sites which will deliver better access to health care in the Southern Adelaide region, improving patient flow and reducing pressure on the system.
All interns receive a comprehensive orientation and induction program at the commencement of their internship, and are supported in their educational program by a medical education team comprised of the Executive Director of Medical Services (EDMS), Director of Clinical Training (DCT), Deputy Directors of Clinical Training (DCT), Medical Education Registrars and Medical Education Officers (MEOs).
Trainees receive a balanced educational program aligned to the National Framework for Prevocational Medical Training and welfare needs. The weekly intern tutorials provide a broad, clinically focused program tailored to the learning requirements of junior doctors as they progress through their year. The clinical simulation program runs weekly and interns are offered four workshops which are facilitated by our Deputy DCT’s and Medical Education Registrars. Both tutorials and simulation sessions are protected teaching time for interns. Interns are also invited to attend the weekly PGY2+ education program (Medi-JETS) that provides an allocated discipline tutorial and skill program. For interns who have an interest in General Practice, SALHN has strong established networks with agencies to provide regular general practice tutorials that cover a diverse range of topics. They are most informative for prevocational trainees interested in pursuing this career path. Grand rounds are held weekly throughout the year and offer junior doctors the opportunity to attend and extend their clinical and theoretical knowledge. Each division has a dedicated education program that interns are encouraged to attend. There is also an opportunity to undertake ALS training throughout the year.
Interns within SALHN are well supported throughout internship. Medical Education Unit staff are available to assist trainees at any point and they can offer personal and clinical leadership and guidance to support the intern through the year. A Medical Education Registrar is allocated to each intern at the beginning of the year who will provide mentorship and guidance when needed.
Throughout internship, trainees are supervised both in and out of hours by senior members of each rotation. The team provides clinical, educational and pastoral support to the junior members of the team. Interns are encouraged to discuss any concerns within their team as well as seeking assistance from the Medical Education Unit. All junior doctors are informed of the Employee Assistance Program as an additional source of support for confidential counselling and support and they are also encouraged to have their own GP.
SALHN takes into consideration preferences for rotations including leave preferences, as well as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and South Australian Medical Education and Training (SA MET) requirements to ensure all trainees receive a balanced education program and fulfil the requirements for General Registration. For rotations that are highly sought after, for example paediatrics, applicants are contacted after they have submitted their preferences to SA MET to provide an expression of interest in support of their rotation request. Applicants for this rotation will be selected by the Paediatric Term Supervisor. Rotations within SALHN are spread across all sites including Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), Noarlunga Hospital (NH), Repatriation Health Precinct (RHP) and the Jamie Larcombe Centre (JLC). SALHN continues to offer the rural GP/ED rotations which offer great exposure to general practice in a rural setting in partnership with the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency (RDWA) including sites in Angaston, Mannum and Murray Bridge. Trainees may be expected to complete a service term of nights or relieving.
Rotations available at SALHN include:
- Acute Medical Unit
- Cardiology
- Cardio-Thoracic Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
- Emergency
- Gastroenterology
- General and Gastro Intestinal Surgery
- General Internal Medicine
- Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM)
- Haematology
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery
- Infectious Diseases and Dermatology
- Medical Nights
- Neurosurgery
- Gynaecology
- Oesphago-Gastric Surgery
- Older Persons Assessment and ED Liaison (OPAL)
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Plastic Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Relieving
- Renal
- Respiratory
- Rural General Practice/Emergency
- Stroke
- Surgical Nights
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
All medical officers are paid for the hours worked. Interns are allocated three weeks annual leave with two weeks taken in their ED rotation and the other taken during a term as negotiated with the Medical Education Unit term. Interns are asked to preference leave, and allocations are made based on this information. All leave is tracked to ensure that interns meet the requirements of the National Framework for Prevocational Medical Training which includes 47 weeks of training and exposure to each of the clinical care categories. Consideration is given to requests for special leave.
FMC, NH, RHP and JLC are accessible via car, bus and taxi services. NH is accessible via train, as is FMC with the new Flinders Railway line (an extension of the Tonsley line) now complete with new stations at Flinders and Tonsley. All sites have adequate car parking for staff and have security to assist staff to their car at night if required. Interns must have a car and a valid licence for rural rotations. SALHN is easily accessible via the southern freeway and the renowned southern vales wineries, Victor Harbor and Kangaroo Island are close by for day trips or longer stays.
For information about the intern application process, please refer to the SA Health Careers website.
Last updated: March 2024
