September 22, 2025Northern Doctors Education (NDE) has recently launched a pilot Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program for junior doctors in the AMC framework and selected international medical graduates (IMGs). Participants have been matched with registrar mentors who share similar interests and career aspirations.
“Registrars have valuable experience to share, having recently been in the resident role themselves. We had an overwhelming response from registrars wanting to take part as mentors,” said Dr Anastasia Vlachadis Castles, Director of Clinical Training.
The program aims to facilitate discussions around career planning, professional development, and navigating workplace challenges. Registrars will provide guidance to junior doctors in developing leadership and communication skills, while also offering encouragement and career advice at key decision-making points. To ensure a positive and meaningful experience, NDE will continue to support mentors and mentees by sending reminders for meetups and sharing helpful resources.
To mark the launch, NDE hosted a meet-and-greet session, giving mentors and mentees the opportunity to connect face-to-face. Zoe, one of the trainee mentees, said, “I hope to gain a better understanding of education experiences in critical care, and to have someone I can turn to for support.”
Dr Castles added, “The program creates a safe environment for junior doctors to ask questions freely and learn from role models who can also share career and life advice along the way.”
Looking ahead, it is hoped that the program will be expanded next year to include more residents and registrars, and that it will form part of the wellbeing initiatives currently being rolled out across Northern Doctors Services.
For expressions of interest or further information, please contact:
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Dr Anastasia Vlachadis Castles, Director of Clinical Training – Anastasia.castles2@nh.org.au
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Kirra McGaw, Medical Education Officer – Kirra.McGaw@nh.org.au
Pictured in featured image (L-R): Susie Sangas, Zoe Triplett, Anastasia Vlachadis Castles, Georgie van der Vliet, Kirra McGaw, Qiao Ding and Ijaza Lafeer.
