Joint training schemes between the RCPA and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) are available to all Trainees and lead to the granting of Fellowships of both Colleges. These joint programs aim to equip Trainees with the knowledge and skills to specialise in both laboratory and clinical practice. Natalie Davidson is currently undertaking joint physician training with Microbiology/Infectious Diseases and explains her experience so far.

“I graduated in 2012 from the University of Queensland before completing my training as a junior doctor in South East Queensland. It was during a rotation as a basic physician trainee that I decided I wanted to do infectious diseases advanced training. I started my infectious diseases training in 2017, during which time I had some exposure to microbiology. I started spending more and more time in the laboratory and realised just how complimentary the two specialties were – that was when I decided to pursue dual fellowship training.

“I think completing joint training has made me a better infectious diseases physician, both from the ability to interpret results for individual patients, and my broader understanding of diagnostic methods. As an infectious disease physician, you are only treating the patient in front of you, however as a microbiologist you have the opportunity to make an impact at population level. This has allowed me to be more actively involved in public health, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It has also been a great chance for me to apply some of the concepts I was introduced to during my Masters in public health.

“Whilst I did most of my training in Queensland, I also spent time in the Northern Territory and Tasmania which provided me with a great deal of diversity. I would definitely recommend that others travel as part of their Fellowship to gain broader clinical and laboratory experience. I had the chance to work in multiple departments and have observed how different people manage a range of clinical and professional situations. It has given me an appreciation for the diversity of leadership and problem-solving styles that others use, and I have tried to implement this experience into my own practice. It also gave me the opportunity to travel to some wonderful parts of Australia.

“From the microbiology perspective, it is great being part of a team and working together. Everyone has their own role within the laboratory and contributes collectively to producing results for a patient. I find the process, from receiving a request to communicating a result to a clinician, fascinating, surprisingly complex and rewarding. In the lab you get to see everything from the beginning; we are the first people to have exposure to all the interesting cases.

“Similar to pathology in general, as residents you don’t get much exposure to microbiology, and people don’t understand the role that we play. I think that, particularly for microbiology, there is a significant clinical aspect that is underappreciated. We have constant communication with clinicians and are quite involved in patient care, even if it is from what appears to be the sidelines. I can’t think of another career path that would have seen me work across such a variety of medical specialties, satisfy my interest in research and travel as widely as I have been able to by dual training in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.”