Talented Royal Hobart Hospital junior medicos recognised for standout performances

Meet the young rock stars of Tasmanian medicine – three outstanding junior doctors who have been recognised for their dedication to patient care and the state’s health system.

Young doctors of the year. Registrar Clare Rayner, RMO Victoria Murton and Intern Chris Alexander. Picture: Linda Higginson

Meet the young rock stars of Tasmanian medicine.

Three outstanding junior doctors who have been recognised for their dedication to patient care, and their potential as future leaders of the state’s health system.

Dr Clare Rayner (Registrar of the Year), Dr Victoria Murton (Resident Medical Officer of the Year), and Dr Chris Alexander (Intern of the Year) were all acknowledged by their workplace at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Dr Rayner, the most senior of the trio, attended school in Hobart before undertaking her medical degree in South Australia, and spent a year working at Royal Adelaide Hospital before returning home to continue her professional development.

“I’ve just completed three years of basic physician training, and this year I will begin advanced training in cardiology,” Dr Rayner, 31, said.

Young doctors of the year. Registrar Clare Rayner, RMO Victoria Murton and Intern Chris Alexander. Picture: Linda Higginson

“It’s just really nice to be recognised by my peers. The registrar award is voted on by the interns and the resident medical officers.

“I was working as a general medicine registrar for all of last year, and had a lot of contact particularly with interns.

“So I feel good that they felt supported, because I always felt that we worked really well as a team.

“I see myself working in a hospital setting long-term, because I like working as part of a team.”

Dr Murton said she was humbled to have her work recognised as a resident, which is the stage of training between intern and registrar.

The UTAS medical graduate survived an internship year dominated by the pandemic, before going on to rack up three successful years as a resident.

“You rotate around different departments of the hospital, work in lots of different areas, and can start to streamline your training depending on what you want to do,” Dr Murton, 26, said.

“I’ve had really good experiences, and really lovely teams to work with which makes a big difference overall.

“It feels quite flattering that someone thinks you’re doing a good job, which is always nice.”

Dr Murton said she was interested in eventually specialising in either infectious diseases, or palliative care.

Fellow UTAS graduate Dr Alexander recently completed his first year of post-graduate training, and described his award as Intern of the Year as “a big honour”.

“I’m really appreciative of everyone who voted for me,” he said.

“I was part of a lot of really good teams, so it is probably as much of a reflection of them if anything.

“Working this year with Clare and other doctors, I felt really supported without being sheltered, which is really important in the intern year.”

Dr Alexander is set to embark on a general resident year that will include ward cover, physician work, and obstetrics and gynaecology.

The 24-year-old is keen to use the next few years to gain a full range of professional experiences, before narrowing down a specialty.

“I really liked paediatrics as a student, but also liked my oncology term which involved talking to and interacting with patients,” he said.

“So general practice or paediatrics … but I will experience some other areas in the Royal first.”

Health Minister Guy Barnett congratulated Dr Alexander, Dr Murton, and Dr Rayner on their awards, and thanked them for their service to the Tasmanian community.

“These awards are an important opportunity to recognise those doctors who have made a particularly exceptional impact through their commitment to colleagues and patients,” Mr Barnett said.

“Doctors-in-training are a vital part of our medical workforce, and we value the work of all those across the State providing the high-quality that Tasmanians deserve.”