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"Walking together in kindness" artwork produced for Gold Coast Health by Riki Salam, We are 27 Creative.
A career-long commitment to medical education has now been formally recognised through the appointment of Dr Fahid Hashem as Director of Internal Medicine Training at Robina Hospital.
The role is a natural progression for Dr Hashem, who has spent many years mentoring and supporting junior doctors while balancing his clinical work as a Senior Staff Specialist in General Medicine and Endocrinology at Gold Coast Health.
Dr Hashem has played a key role in physician training locally, across Queensland and through the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, so while the title may be new, he said the work is familiar.
"It allows me to focus on supporting and promoting physician training, helping ensure our trainees develop the skills and experience they need to become excellent specialists,” he said.
The position supports doctors undertaking Basic Physician Training, providing opportunities to gain experience across a range of healthcare settings, from tertiary services at Gold Coast University Hospital to more general and regional environments.
According to Dr Hashem, exposing trainees to different clinical settings is essential in preparing doctors for the realities of modern healthcare.
"Part of clinical training is not only learning how to manage patients but learning how to work with the resources you have," he said.
"We want our trainees to be ready to practise in any setting and provide high-quality care wherever their careers take them."
Dr Hashem's passion for education stems from a desire to strengthen the health system by investing in people.
"We are so lucky in Australia to have a strong health system, but what underpins a good health system is the people who run it," he said.
"I want doctors of the future to excel and build on the skills of previous generations.
“To do that, we need to think about what medicine will look like in the future, what skills they'll need, and how we prepare them to be clinical leaders."
He believes future physicians will need to navigate a rapidly changing healthcare landscape shaped by advancing technology, growing patient expectations, and increasing complexity in medical care.
"Doctors of the future can't just be technicians of healthcare," he said.
"They need to understand what's happening in their immediate clinical environment as well as what's happening more broadly across the health system.”
Supported by a strong network of educators and clinicians across Gold Coast Health, Dr Hashem said one of the most rewarding aspects of training is watching junior doctors grow into successful specialists.
The gratitude these students have for Dr Hashem is evident from the numerous thank you cards that line his desk.
"When you see trainees pass their exams and progress through their careers, it's incredibly rewarding," he said.
"I now have former trainees who are consultants themselves, doing research and achieving great things. All the effort has been worth it."
For Dr Hashem, the new role represents an opportunity to continue shaping the next generation of physicians while helping ensure Gold Coast Health remains a leading training environment for aspiring medical specialists.
