Intensivist

Intensive Care Medicine involves the assessment, resuscitation and ongoing management of critically ill patients, usually those who have hypertension/hypotension instability, airway or respiratory difficulties, acute renal failure, cardiac arrhythmias or multiple organ failure. Some of the common tasks of an Intensivist include:

• Examining patients to determine the nature and extent of problems after referral from General Medical Practitioners and other medical specialists, and undertaking laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures
• Analysing test results and other medical information to make diagnoses
• Prescribing and administering drugs, and remedial and therapeutic treatment and procedures
• Recording medical information and data
• Reporting  specified contagious and notifiable diseases to government health and immigration authorities
• May admit or refer patients to hospitals
• May consult other medical specialists

To achieve accreditation as an Intensivist it is required to complete a medicine degree and one year internship before being accepted into the training program of the College of Intensive Care Medicine, which is completed over a six year period, comprising three years of basic training and three years of advanced training.