Broome doctor wins mentor prize

An emergency doctor who has called Broome home for the past decade has been lauded for his work training youngsters looking to get their foot in the door in the medical sector. Dr David Forster was named 2019 Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils Clinical Educator of the Year recently, a prize handed out to the most outstanding advocate for junior health workers across Australia and New Zealand. Despite working tireless night shifts and being faced with health issues unique to regional locations, the district medical officer has spent his free time over the past six years running through real-life emergency simulations with medical students on placement from around the country. Dr Forster, who has been based at Broome Hospital for the past 10 years and has two decades of medical experience, said it felt unreal to win the prestigious award. He said to be nominated by those he had taught was a reflection of what he had put into the program. “I do put a lot of time and work in, but you never do it for the recognition or to win anything,” he said. “The simulation training they find very useful because it teaches them procedures and examinations using a mannequin and provides them a scenario that focuses on actual clinical problems. “It is all unpaid work in my own time but I love it and we have intelligent, hard-working bunches of kids come through.” Dr Forster said to train and work with junior doctors was a privilege. “I see them develop and flourish as they choose their medicine career path — it’s special to see them achieve and gain so much through their training at Broome Hospital,” he said. “Working in this way enables all the staff to give first-class, individualised care to our patients.” The CPMEC award has been handed out since 2010. WA doctors have won on five occasions.