Dr Idinakachukwu ‘Idy’ Chukwu re-joins Peninsula Health as a Medical Intern this year to complete the final step of her studies before becoming a fully qualified doctor. She begins her internship in our Emergency Department where she will shadow our doctors as they provide care to patients entering the health service through emergency.
Learn more about Dr Chukwu and what she hopes to achieve from her medical internship below.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
A: I’m from Canada but was originally born in Nigeria. A vast majority of my education has been in Canada, and I moved to Australia after my bachelor’s degree to study medicine.
Q: What excites you most about completing your medical internship at Peninsula Health?
A: My experience here as a student in my third year was the catalyst for my desire to return to Peninsula Health. I am excited to be in a well-supported environment, working with multi-disciplinary teams and at the same time growing as a clinician. I am excited to learn from the clinicians around me, as I continue to strive to be a well-rounded doctor in environment that is conducive for such.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?
A: My inspiration to pursue medicine is multi-faceted. It was born from the loss of my paternal grandparents due to lack of education on how to handle simple health matters. It was further bred in my gap year in Panama, where I saw how the lack of access to healthcare can catastrophically impact the lives of families, especially children. Over the years throughout placements, I have come to appreciate the impact we can make in the lives of patients, not just by the treatments we give them in hospital, but also the services we can offer to sustain their health through the work of allied health professionals.
Q: Do you have any goals for your internship?
A: My goals is to grow and learn. I hope to integrate the knowledge, skills, and experience I’ve gathered as a student, into being a patient-centred clinician. Furthermore, I hope to further learn as much as I can from all those around me. I hope to acquire new skills, to challenge myself, and I believe my time in Peninsula Health will help me achieve my goals.
Q: What do you believe to be some of the most pressing health issues today? Why?
A: Inadequate access to aid (i.e., general physicians) especially in rural communities. Some patients in these communities tend to present to hospital when they are in the chronic stage of their illness due to limited access to healthcare services. Although it is important to note the multiple socioeconomic factors that can contribute to this such as low income; access to transport; external and internal supports; lack of education; etc, limited access to healthcare services in these areas is a major contributor to this issue.
Q: How do you see the future of healthcare?
A: I hope greater emphasis will be placed on collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals in their care. I also hope that there is a systematic push in increasing access to specialist in rural/regional areas.
Q: What are your hobbies and interests outside of medicine?
A: My interests outside of medicine include education/teaching, music (currently teaching myself how to play the guitar), photography, fashion, writing, and anything active! I also enjoy traveling and hope to do more of that this year during my annual leave.