There were some very familiar names amongst a new cohort of junior doctors recently welcomed to Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. Embarking on their medical careers are three medical interns with strong family ties to our District.
New doctors Anastasia Teece, Stephanie Sardinha and Alex Carey
Now working at Nepean Hospital, medical interns Anastasia Teece, Stephanie Sardinha and Alex Pardey walk in the footsteps of their fathers, each well regarded medical professionals from the Nepean Hospital family.
While each acknowledges that their surnames can add a layer of expectation at this early stage of their careers, the trio are keen to step out on their own and forge their own paths.
"The recognition of my family connection makes me hopeful that I can live up to the name and do as good a job as my dad did," says Stephanie, whose father is Nepean Hospital geriatrician, Dr Luis Sardinha.
Stephanie says it was the District's excellent reputation that led to her to joining our workforce.
"I had heard lots of positive things about the culture, which was important to me. I'd also heard about the Basic Physician Training program, the support that's given to junior medical officers, the quality of teaching sessions and the friendliness and approachability of consultants," says Stephanie.
"It can be a difficult job to do when you're fresh out of medical school, so hearing that the doctors above you are very supportive was a big reason I wanted to come here. Knowing that there'll be a lot of supervision and guidance when you're first starting on the job is so important."
Alex, whose father is retired Nepean Hospital obstetrician Associate Professor John Pardey, says the positive workforce culture at Nepean Hospital also tempted her to select it as the location of her internship.
"After moving away from Penrith, I returned to the area during medical school and had an incredible time. The people here were so lovely. Everyone was keen to teach and I just fell back in love with the community. All the staff were delightful and so nice to me, so I had a really good time and when it came time to choose, I put Nepean first."
For Anastasia Teece, whose father Andrew Teece is a former chief radiographer at Nepean Hospital, commencing her career with Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District just made sense.
"Nepean Hospital is ultimately where I wanted to end up working. I'd spoken to doctors from other hospitals as well as my dad and they all advised me to look at Nepean."
While each intern has enjoyed a very positive start to their time at Nepean Hospital, they admit to being driven by the challenges ahead and motivated by their family legacies.
"I think it's really cool that I'm where my dad was," says Anastasia.
"I like feeling that I am building upon what he contributed to."
