Why choose Central Queensland Health?
A medical internship with Central Queensland Health gives you hands-on experience in a wide range of clinical skills early in your career. You’ll work in a supportive environment and get valuable one-on-one time and personal guidance from consultants and registrars.
Your progression is our priority, and our easy-going lifestyle means you’ll have more time to enjoy the things you love.
Find application dates and information about the recruitment and selection process on the Queensland Health website.
Rotations and specialty areas
Know your yearly rotations before you start and enjoy the chance to work across a range of diverse locations. You’ll have the opportunity to work in our major hospital in Rockhampton, coastal hospitals in Gladstone and Yeppoon and rural sites in Emerald and Theodore.
At Central Queensland Health, you can access more than your standard core terms in surgery, general and emergency medicine.
PGY1
- Cardiology
- Emergency
- General medicine
- Mental health
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- General surgery
- Rural generalism
- General practice
PGY2
- Anaesthetics
- Cardiology
- Emergency
- ENT
- General medicine
- General surgery
- Hematology
- Infectious diseases
- Medical oncology
- Renal
- Palliative care
- Hospital in the home
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health
- Obstetrics and gyneacology
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Urology
Medical internship highlights
Settle in quicker
Your medical internship begins with a 2-week orientation program. This includes an orientation weekend to help you connect with your peers and introduce you to our beautiful region.
Personalised support
Join a peer-led support group to connect with a community of doctors in training. They'll help you settle into the region, discuss challenges, and explore opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Speaking of community, by joining our team you’ll see the difference you’re making in real life! You might meet patients and their families at local events or shops. They often thank you for the care you gave.
Training
Our team of experienced medical staff are here to help teach, guide and mentor you.
Unlike in metropolitan areas, you won’t be competing with your peers for guidance and support. Our smaller internship program (37 positions) means our experienced doctors know you, and care about your career.
You’ll get:
- protected weekly teaching sessions tailored to your rotations
- department and specialty-specific training
- research opportunities through the University of Queensland and CQUniversity.
- structured career pathway planning
- peer to peer mentoring
- courses in advanced life support, neoResus, paediatric ALS, ultrasound-guided cannulation, and communication and patient safety.
Our training speaks for itself. In recent years, two of our trainees have received the top score on the national entrance exams for both intensive care and obstetrics and gynaecology.
Support for moving to Central Queensland
If you're relocating, we may be able to help you with accommodation and costs including:
- four weeks shared accommodation on arrival
- reimbursing the costs of domestic flights
- contributing towards other travel and relocation costs.
If you need a working visa, you'll need to apply for a Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485).
Find out about our other workplace benefits including remuneration, salary packaging and flexible work arrangements.
Hear from our team
Dr Nathan
Dr Nathan came to us as an intern in 2022. He is completing his advanced skill training year in anaesthetics at Rockhampton Hospital on the Rural Generalist pathway.
He has already secured a job for next year working half and half between Anaesthetics in Rocky and at Capricorn Coast Hospital.
He says the exposure to patients and cases is one of the best things about working in a regional centre like Rockhampton.
“You get to learn more here than in Brisbane. The Anaesthetic Department is a supportive learning environment.”
Another big plus is being able to choose rotations.
“I essentially got every term I wanted in the past three years. Consider coming to Rocky because of the ability you get onto training early and get the jobs you want rather than delaying for years.”
Dr Viveeka
Originally from Canada, Dr Viveeka came to Rockhampton as a medical student. She completed her intern year and is currently working in anaesthetics on rotation.
“There’s lots of hands-on experience. As a medical student I did lots of cannulas and was never afraid to do a night ward call because I had already had plenty of supervised practice.”
Dr Viveeka says she did arterial blood gas tests, a chest drain, a lumbar puncture and lots of intubations – all skills that she would not have been exposed to so early in her career in a big city hospital.
“You have more one-on-one interactions with consultants and registrars, and they give a lot of assurance and ensure you are well trained for when you are on your own.
“I also help to run surgical lists with the consultants which is amazing. In the city you’re competing with more senior doctors, but in regional areas like Rockhampton the consultants know you by your first name."
Dr Shaheel
Dr Shaheel is from Sri Lanka and came to Rockhampton Hospital to do his intern year in 2021. He loves it, and he’s still here, working in the Surgical Department.
“As a doctor-in-training I get much more exposure to hands-on procedures. I get to excise skin lesions, do open hernia repairs, laparoscopic surgery, and assist in surgeries. I’ve done more than 10 appendectomies, and I treat abscesses.”
“It’s improved the way I see patients, I work more efficiently, and my skills are growing, and you get so much more confidence in the operating theatre.”
“You won’t get that in a big city where there are fellows and registrars all competing for cases. In a tertiary centre you would only be doing paperwork in the beginning.”
Outside of work he’s made a lot of friends in the community. “I am a member of the Rockhampton Tamil Cricket Team. There are a lot of Sri Lankans and Indians in the community – that’s also keeping me here.”
Information sessions
We hold information sessions at Rockhampton Hospital that you're welcome to join.
For more information email the Medical Education Unit at MEU_Rockhampton@health.qld.gov.au or call 07 4920 6332.
Contact us
Contact our recruitment team for general enquiries:
- Phone 07 4920 6229
- Email CQHHS_JMORecruit@health.qld.gov.au.