‘Selfless, kind, and caring’ are three words used to describe Dr Nisal Punchihewa, who has been named the Monash Health Intern of the Year.
Nisal received the accolade at the Junior Medical Staff of the Year Awards on Friday 14 January.
The awards team also praised Nisal, currently on rotation at Dandenong Hospital Emergency Department, for his enthusiasm, insight, and leadership.
“It has certainly been a challenging time for my cohort to start our careers,” he says. “We all had an idea of what being an intern would be like – and then the pandemic changed everything.
“One of the key things I’ve learnt in Emergency especially is that despite how much things change in the outside world, the principles are the same. We still prioritise, have the same approach to situations, and traditional teachings still apply.”
Nisal says senior Monash employees have supported interns all the way.
“The consultants lead by example and are helping us not just learn to be doctors, but learn to be doctors in a pandemic,” he says.
“This year I got to truly understand the privilege of being trusted with the responsibility of caring for a patient’s health. It’s a very rewarding job despite the challenges that come with it and it’s sometimes difficult while still in medical school to fully appreciate that.”
Nisal found meditation and good sleeping patterns helped keep him grounded during his busy first year.
“I have no doubt that all the interns have dug deep to provide excellent care for Monash Health patients during another challenging year of the pandemic and they have been a fantastic group to work with,” he says.
Demonstrating his commitment to his colleagues, Nisal worked with fellow interns Jonathan Wong and Seraphina Key to develop an intern mentoring program, which was piloted in 2021. The program linked interns with second-year doctors.
“It is also important to keep in touch with people you care about so I encourage the new interns to keep that in mind.”
Nisal eventually hopes to specialise in dermatology, which he considers a rewarding combination of investigation, clinical skills, and hands-on treatment.
