Female doctors lead new intake at CareFlight

CareFlight has welcomed 10 new doctors to its team with more women than men in this intake of registrars for the first time.

Over the next six to 12 months these new registrars will provide for the greater Sydney community as key members of the aeromedical teams that include CareFlight’s rapid response helicopter base in Westmead and NSW Ambulance’s aeromedical operations in Bankstown.

CareFlight’s General Manager of Medical Services Andrew Anderson said CareFlight starts new registrars every six months as part of its registrar training program in conjunction with NSW Ambulance.

“This program is highly sought after as registrars spend six months learning to care for the critically ill and injured in pre-hospital and inter-hospital aeromedical retrieval environments,” Mr Anderson said.

“For the first time ever, we have more female than male doctors which is exciting for the aeromedical industry as we move away from that traditional view of being a very male dominated sector.

“It’s particularly exciting for CareFlight as this year we celebrate our 30th anniversary and also the many changes we’ve witnessed to our operations over the last three decades.”

Most of the CareFlight new registrars are locally based with three hailing from the UK and Ireland.

“Every year we get a lot of interest from overseas especially from the UK. The experience they receive with CareFlight is quite unique and very often it’s totally different from what they are used to back home,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Our registrars come from working in emergency departments, anaesthetics and intensive care units. They quickly learn that it is as far removed as you can get from a hospital setting but that’s what makes our training program and the services they provide so rewarding.

“As always, our new doctors are enthusiastic and looking forward to embarking on this exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of emergency aeromedical retrieval and we look forward to another successful year,” Mr Anderson said.

After their stint with CareFlight, registrars are accredited with up to six months training by the Critical Care Colleges of Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia or Intensive Care.

CareFlight takes in new registrars every six months in February and August and also twice a year as part of its Northern Territory operations in Darwin.