Careers

Interview

Dr Jasminka Milosevic

Psychiatry Registrar, Dr Jasminka Milosevic has worked in the three Auckland DHBs across a variety of services and specialities. The demographics across the DHBs offer somewhat different training experiences.....

Jasminka chose this pathway due to personal and life experiences. She says " unlike a surgeon or physician, a psychiatry registrar is interested in a patients "software" rather than their "hardware" ". It is about looking deeper into the reasons behind the mental illness and finding out Why, What, How they are feeling. They look at mental illness from a variety of angles, they explore, improvise and develop relationships with their patients."

In terms of training opportunities, the Auckland region offers a variety of experiences. At Middlemore Hospital, patients offer a variety of cultural challenges as well as a variety of psychiatry issues. The patients are less savvy when it comes to their rights and treatment, however they are more humble and appreciative of the service being offered and provided.

Waitakere Hospital offers a wide variety of patients which keeps the role interesting.

At Auckland Hospital, the patients are fairy savvy in their knowledge of mental health and the treatment they should be receiving and entitled to. They are more accepting of mental health and engage in a more consultative approach to treatment.

The teachings involve attending a weekly grand round and weekly group sessions where Registrars learn from one another. If Consultants aren't available there is usually a more senior Registrar on hand to discuss cases and to learn from.

Jasminka also commented on the supportive nature of Psychiatry not only from her training coordinator but also her peers and Consultants. It is easier to get access to attend the Registrar teaching in Auckland than other training centres in NZ.

She says that you are exposed to all walks of life from the mainstream to the alternative and each one is different. It is an interesting career and one that she specifically moved to Auckland to pursue.