Who’s Who in Your Healthcare Team? Meet the Medical Intern
Dr Pat O’Leary is a medical intern at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital
During your hospital stay, there’s a good chance a medical intern may be part of your treating team. So, what do they do?
From interns and Junior House Officers to Registrars and Consultants, doctors at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) work together to provide safe, high-quality care. Each plays an important role in supporting patients during their hospital stay.
Dr Pat O’Leary is one of many early-career doctors helping care for patients across the hospital. He explained what an intern does and how they work alongside more experienced clinicians to deliver the best possible care.
“Interns are fully qualified doctors who undertake rotations across different areas of the hospital to build our clinical experience and skills,” Pat said.
“We work closely with senior clinicians to support patient care. A typical day might involve joining ward rounds, reviewing test results and scans, coordinating care, and escalating any concerns when needed.”
Dr O’Leary’s path to medicine was not a traditional one, but it ultimately led him to a career he finds deeply rewarding.
“I first studied finance and maths at university before working for several years as a data analyst,” he said.
“A lot of what I did as an analyst was looking for patterns and working out what data was telling me about a problem.
“Medicine isn’t so different. As doctors, we weigh up information and make decisions based on what we’ve discovered. We are also privileged to support patients and their families through some of their toughest times.”
Medical interns like Dr O’Leary are often the first doctors that patients meet and are an important part of the team coordinating day-to-day care.
“We’re always happy to answer questions, explain what’s happening with your care, or help connect you with the right member of the team,” Pat said.
After completing their intern year, doctors progress to Junior House Officer roles, undertaking further rotations across the hospital to broaden their clinical knowledge and experience before pursuing specialty training.