Wednesday March 8, 2023
Eastern Health is celebrating some of our incredible women during the week of International Women’s Day (8 March).
Dr Anita Liu has spent her entire working life in public hospitals.
As an Emergency Physician and Acting Clinical Director Emergency services, Dr Liu has gone on to help countless young aspiring doctors find their own way by honing in on her organisational skills and optimising her resources, even through the challenges of COVID.
“One of the things that surprised me in COVID is, for someone who’s not the most technologically advanced, I was able to change the face-to-face intern teaching program and offer it virtually, along with the orientation program,” Dr Liu said.
“When I look back now, I think, wow, did I do that?”
Teaching junior doctors how to reach their potential stretches beyond the parameters of medical subject matter. To truly be a great educator, Dr Liu ensures she puts herself “in the learners’ shoes”.
“As an emergency doctor I’ve always had interfaces with junior medical staff and at all stages, the key is to be kind and empathetic. It’s more about what they want to learn rather than what I want them to learn in adult education,” she said.
Dr Liu has been able to see her educational efforts come full circle, and whilst interacting with patients is still one of her favourite aspects of her work, there is something especially rewarding about seeing her juniors grow.
“In the emergency department we are quite lucky as we often see the journey of a junior doctor that has been with us. We may have seen them as a medical student originally, then an intern and then they might come back for other rotations in the residency. I’ve even had handful of consultants now that I remember as junior doctors,” she said.
“Each time I see them when they come back from other rotations, I notice quite a difference in what they can manage and it’s a point of pride for us to feel that we have been part of that contribution.”
As part of celebrating the incredible women at Eastern Health, the executive leadership team have chosen to recognise six women for their efforts in embodying our values and striving towards our strategic goals.
“I’ve really enjoyed my career in public health, to be recognised in this way is very touching,” Dr Liu said.