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Harry Kirkland
Harry Kirkland
4th year medical student, Macquarie University
For me, the PIF retreat was one of the most informative and engaging experiences of my medical degree. The event was expertly organised, and every moment was enjoyable. I loved hearing about the journeys of other medical students and junior doctors from across Australia.
Each presentation revolved around a specific field of psychiatry, and it was wonderful to hear from so many leading specialists based across Sydney. Personally, I found Dr Adam Bayes's lecture on novel treatments in major depressive disorder and the pathway into clinical-academic psychiatry fascinating. I was also deeply moved by the address given by the event facilitator, Dr Chris Henry, a stage 3 registrar based in Albury-Wodonga.
The greatest surprise of the retreat was discovering the breadth of career outcomes that psychiatry's subspecialties can offer. During the Q&A session, the group heard from seven panellists, each representing a different subspecialty. It was remarkable to hear just how varied a day in the life of a psychiatrist can be an insight I have never come across in any other medical specialty.
The retreat has absolutely cemented my aspirations to pursue psychiatry as a career. Hearing directly from clinicians and academics at various stages of their careers gave me a clearer sense of the different pathways available and reinforced that psychiatry is a specialty where you can make a meaningful impact both in and out of the hospital.
As for a little about myself, I am a final-year medical student based in Eora/Sydney but originally from Naarm/Melbourne. I have a longstanding interest in psychiatry and mental health. I am drawn to the complexity and diversity of the specialty and the team-oriented nature of the work. I would encourage anyone interested in psychiatry to register for next year's PIF retreat; it was one of the highlights of my year!
For me, the PIF retreat was one of the most informative and engaging experiences of my medical degree. The event was expertly organised, and every moment was enjoyable. I loved hearing about the journeys of other medical students and junior doctors from across Australia.
Each presentation revolved around a specific field of psychiatry, and it was wonderful to hear from so many leading specialists based across Sydney. Personally, I found Dr Adam Bayes's lecture on novel treatments in major depressive disorder and the pathway into clinical-academic psychiatry fascinating. I was also deeply moved by the address given by the event facilitator, Dr Chris Henry, a stage 3 registrar based in Albury-Wodonga.
The greatest surprise of the retreat was discovering the breadth of career outcomes that psychiatry's subspecialties can offer. During the Q&A session, the group heard from seven panellists, each representing a different subspecialty. It was remarkable to hear just how varied a day in the life of a psychiatrist can be an insight I have never come across in any other medical specialty.
The retreat has absolutely cemented my aspirations to pursue psychiatry as a career. Hearing directly from clinicians and academics at various stages of their careers gave me a clearer sense of the different pathways available and reinforced that psychiatry is a specialty where you can make a meaningful impact both in and out of the hospital.
As for a little about myself, I am a final-year medical student based in Eora/Sydney but originally from Naarm/Melbourne. I have a longstanding interest in psychiatry and mental health. I am drawn to the complexity and diversity of the specialty and the team-oriented nature of the work. I would encourage anyone interested in psychiatry to register for next year's PIF retreat; it was one of the highlights of my year!
