We offer medical student placements, medical internships and resident medical officer (RMO) positions in a supportive and rewarding environment, where you’ll grow and make a difference.

We’re big enough to challenge you, but small enough for you to matter. You’ll work on diverse clinical cases and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle close to beautiful beaches, national parks, and the Whitsunday Islands.

Placements for medical students

Medical students can apply to do an 8-week placement with us for their clinical elective.

Domestic and international students can apply. International students must be in their final year during the placement.

Placements are available at Mackay Base, Sarina, or Proserpine hospitals.

At Mackay Base Hospital you can apply for placements in these units:

  • anaesthetics
  • general medicine
  • general surgery
  • orthopaedics
  • cardiology
  • obstetrics and gynaecology
  • paediatrics
  • mental health
  • emergency.

How to apply

Apply through James Cook University (JCU). You don’t need to be a JCU student to apply. Learn how to apply for a placement on the JCU website. Please don’t contact our health professionals directly.

Training and support

We support you through our prevocational medical training program. In your first year, we help you meet the standards for general registration. In your second year as a junior house officer, our training helps you meet the requirements to get your certificate of completion.

Our training, mentoring and support includes:

  • protected weekly teaching sessions
  • department teaching and tutorials
  • online learning
  • clinical skills workshops including advanced life support and ultrasound-guided cannulation
  • fortnightly grand rounds
  • simulation training in our simulation centre
  • journal clubs
  • library and internet access
  • research opportunities
  • career counselling and advice.

The Mackay Medical Staff Association provide social, educational and advocacy opportunities for members.

Medical interns

Our medical internships are for one year. Most internships are full time.

Clinical experience

You'll get experience in a range of specialties across the health service:

  • emergency medicine
  • general medicine
  • cardiology
  • general surgery
  • orthopaedics
  • child and adolescent health
  • obstetrics and gynaecology
  • anaesthetics
  • intensive care unit
  • mental health
  • rural medicine
  • rural general practice.

If you're on the rural generalist pathway, you can also be placed in Proserpine and Bowen hospitals.

How to apply

You must be a qualified medical practitioner and registered with the Medical Board of Australia to apply.

Recruitment is through the Queensland Health internship campaign. You can check the application dates and read more about the recruitment and selection process on the Queensland Health Careers website.

Duration: 03:55

>> Gia Cavalieri, intern, Mackay Base Hospital:

I grew up in a small town called Port Fairy in south west Victoria which is a quaint little town on the coast. My first exposure to medicine was just getting to know the GPs of that town.

>> Kay Mbalamweshi, medical education registrar, Mackay Base Hospital:

When my family moved to Australia we moved to Adelaide and that's where I did my undergrad. Part of the reason why I've stayed at Mackay is because of the rotations that I've gotten. You work with these really fun people where you learn it's not just about how you put the needle but it's about the song and dance you do before you put the needle in.

>> Marie Tran, intern, Bowen Hospital:

It is awesome to be in a rural area. There's a lot more autonomy and responsibility and we're programmed to do everything we can where we are.

>> Jacqueline Liaw, intern, Bowen Hospital:

Often you are the first line doctor, you manage them from the get-go. That also boosts confidence and clinical reasoning.

>> Shivam Khanna, intern, South Side Medical, Mackay:

I guess there's more opportunity to step up in a smaller hospital than there would be in a larger hospital.

>> Shawn Steckle, intern, Mackay Base Hospital:

Mackay's the gold nugget of Queensland that no-one knows about. There's lots of opportunities if you're willing to work hard this is a place you're going to advance yourself very fast.

>> Gia Cavalieri:

I was fortunate enough to spend the first 7 months working in Proserpine. I think just the variety here, it's just fantastic.

>> Jacqueline Liaw:

You see different things everyday, like tropical diseases. We do get cases that are severe.

>> Shawn Steckle:

You hear about it coming in and you get excited like oh, that's going to be a shark bite, this is going to be really interesting.

>>Gia Cavalieri:

Lots of irukandji stings in summer, which I had never heard of before moving up to Queensland.

>> Shivam Khanna:

It sounded like it was something weird and wonderful, kept us guessing for days.

>> Shawn Steckle:

Certainly lots of snake bites, I'm sure that's a much higher rate than down south. Thankfully none of them have actually been envenomated bites.

>> Marie Tran:

Oh wow, it's like here's some rheumatic heart disease, like I thought that never existed except for in the books. But it's like nope, up here it's pretty common.

>> Gia Cavalieri:

It's been really good to have a dedicated day every week to sit down and have a diadactic teaching session about a particular topic, or it could be a simulation session.

>> Kay Mbalamweshi:

We're trying to encourage a lot more on the ward learning, a lot more individual learning.

>> Shivam Khanna:

I feel like the culture's such that people want to help you.

>> Gia Cavalieri:

The team there is not just a team but they turn into your family.

>> Marie Tran:

The water's so inviting it's like a magnet.

>> Shawn Steckle:

We did the horse shoe loop in Bowen. The bay area is beautiful.

>> Shivam Khanna:

We live in a beautiful area. I've been to Finch Hatton a few times as well to swim in the gorge.

>> Kay Mbalamweshi:

There's a particular beach that I really love and I take a hammock and I will stay there for an entire afternoon.

>> Shivam Khanna:

And of course we live right next to Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Islands nearby.

>> Marie Tran:

I love blowing ring bubbles. It's like my favourite thing to do.

>> Gia Cavalieri:

The lifestyle is a huge factor. I can ride to work if I want to. I don't have to drive like for a hour. It's just a much more pleasant way to live I think.

>> Kay Mbalamweshi:

I really like dancing. I chose the rock'n'roll group because they're just so much fun.

>> Shivam Khanna:

I've made some new friends that I'll have for the rest of my life by coming here.

>> Gia Cavalieri:

I honestly couldn't have picked a better way to kick off this career.

[Text on screen: To discover your medical training opportunities at Mackay Hospital and Health Service visit nqrth.edu.au.]

[Mackay Hospital and Health Service logo and Queensland Government logo appears on screen]

[Text on screen: This video was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health as part of the Regional Training Hubs initiative. Produced in partnership with norther Queensland health care providers and James Cook University.]

[End of transcript]

Resident Medical Officer (RMO) and registrar jobs

Clinical experience

You'll get clinical experience in a range of specialties across the health service:

  • emergency medicine
  • general medicine
  • cardiology
  • general surgery
  • urology
  • otolaryngology
  • orthopaedics
  • child and adolescent health
  • obstetrics and gynaecology
  • anaesthetics
  • intensive care unit
  • mental health
  • radiology
  • rural medicine
  • rural general practice.

For some specialties, you'll work at the Mater Private Hospital Mackay.

How to apply

You can apply if you’re a qualified medical practitioner and registered or able to register with the Medical Board of Australia.

Recruitment is through the Queensland Health RMO campaign. You can check the application dates and read more about the recruitment and selection process on the Queensland Health Careers website.

Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) Program

If you’re an international medical graduate, you may be eligible to apply for our Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) Program.

Applicants will be required to meet the following prerequisites at time of application:

  • Must hold Limited Registration – Standard Pathway with AHPRA and have held minimum Level two (2) supervision for the previous six (6) months.
  • Provide evidence of successful completion of the AMC Computer Adaptive Test Multiple Choice Question (CAT MCQ) examination.
  • Successfully completed International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or similar.
  • Must have worked for MHHS for a minimum of six (6) months, with most recent term assessment and WRIG-30 as satisfactory in the capacity of Resident Medical Officer (RMO), Principal House Officer (PHO) or Senior House Officer (SMO).
  • RMO doctors must complete the 10-week Emergency Medicine rotation with satisfactory term assessment before applying.

Upon successful completion of the WBA 12-month program, you’ll receive your Australian Medical Council (AMC) certificate and not required to sit the AMC Clinical Exam.

Contact our program coordinator

To learn more about our program and check your eligibility, contact our WBA Program Coordinator by calling 07 4885 6952 or email mhhs_wba@health.qld.gov.au.

Read more about workplace based assessments on the Australian Medical Council website.

Contact us

Contact us if you'd like more information about medical internships, RMO and registrar opportunities.

Last updated: May 2025

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