MARGARET Vo was one of 51 new student doctors to begin her internship at Western Health last week.

The first few days of orientation saw the students being welcomed to their new positions, refreshing their knowledge of basic life support and CPR, and shadowing last year’s interns on their rounds.

Ms Vo said there were a lot of practical tasks she learnt on her first day, including how to write up drug charts and fluid orders, and how to request pathology and radiology tests.

The Braybrook resident said the year-long position is exciting but scary in the transition from student to a doctor who has to accept all responsibility for their patients.

“I have to consolidate all the knowledge I’ve learned so far. It is a challenging but rewarding job where I can put everything I’ve learnt into treating patients,” Ms Vo said.

The 24-year-old has spent six years studying medicine at Melbourne University, completing her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a Bachelor of Medical Science last year.

After her internship is complete, Ms Vo would like to work towards becoming a general practitioner, which means a further three years of study.

“I hope to open my own practice one day. I speak fluent Vietnamese, which can benefit patient care in the Western suburbs,” she said. Ms Vo said her love of medicine comes from her family.

“They are all in health,” she said. Although she has been warned about the daunting job a doctor can have, Ms Vo is keen to ensure she strikes a good balance between work and life. Interns at Western Health rotate through five different areas for 10 weeks at a time.

Ms Vo will spend her first rotation on the emergency ward in Wodonga, and will then gain experience at Footscray in the areas of general medicine.