Royal Darwin Hospital and our networked hospitals have a strong basic physician training (BPT) program, covering a huge range of general and specialty rotations as well as preparation for the RACP exams.
Our BPT program is best suited to applicants in their PGY3 or above and can include entry at either the resident medical officer (RMO) or registrar level.
PGY2 applicants should apply to the RMO medical stream where we have 8 positions allocated to ‘pre-BPT’ rotations to prepare trainees for physician training in their PGY3 year.
About the program
Royal Darwin Hospital is a level 3 teaching hospital with Palmerston and Katherine District hospitals acting as secondment sites for core training in general medicine. There is a remote general practice rotation as part of the basic training programme through Gove District Hospital in Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land. Trainees thus have the opportunity to work in urban, regional and remote NT. The NT Health is known for its infectious diseases service and many trainees come from around the country and overseas to gain experience in this area in a remote setting close to South East Asia.
Royal Darwin Hospital shares its campus with the Menzies School of Health Research, Flinders NT Medical School and the newly emerging Charles Darwin University medical programme offering the opportunity for our staff to engage in research and teaching.
Rotations and requirements
While psychiatry, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology rotations may be negotiated from time to time, trainees on the Top End basic physician training scheme will be given a balance of core and non-core training terms over the 36 months of training.
You'll be required to undertake a service term of nights/relieving work within core and non-core requirements, and all trainees need to be able to commit to a non-level 3 training rotation in Palmerston, Gove or Katherine hospitals.
These rotations are an important part of the training program and provide essential skills and experience for providing care to rural and remote living patients.
Specialties and education
The following specialties are covered in the basic physician training program:
- General medicine
- Cardiology
- Renal
- Neurology
- Respiratory
- Medical oncology
- Haematology
- Palliative care
- Gastroenterology
- Alcohol and other drugs
- Infectious diseases
- Intensive care
- Geriatrics
- Gove District Hospital – regional generalist medicine
- Katherine District Hospital – rural general medicine
- Palmerston Regional Hospital - rural general medicine
Each trainee will be expected to do one service term per year which is comprised of a mix of nights and relieving work.
Formal teaching opportunities include:
- Weekly hospital wide grand rounds
- Weekly division of medicine grand rounds
- Weekly basic physician trainee registrar teaching
- Weekly division of medicine journal club
RACP Exam preparation
In preparation for the exams, there is a mock written examination and a formal mock clinical exam provided to all candidates.
The Royal Darwin and Palmerston Hospitals is a clinical exam site for the RACP clinical exam each year.
There is a roster for private and public long cases and short cases during term 2 for all trainees sitting the exam in that year.
How to apply
You can apply to join the basic physician training program between May and August each year, but we also welcome applications at any time outside of that period.
If you're a junior overseas doctor and interested in working with us, we encourage you to reach out to discuss opportunities.
To apply for basic physician training, you'll need to provide a:
- Resume
- cover letter outlining your training goals, aspirations and whether you wish to enter training at the RMO or registrar level; and
- names of 2 physician referees who can assess your potential for the program.
Contact
Recruitment team, DivMedRecruitment.THS@nt.gov.au
Dr Emma Spencer, Director of Physician Education, Emma.Spencer@nt.gov.au