Dr Claire Demeo on preparing for her career

Student life is a time of discovery and preparing for your career. Paediatrician-in-training Dr Claire Demeo is enjoying exploring all her options.

Clinical notes

Name: Dr Claire Demeo

Specialty: Trainee paediatrician

Years practising: 2

Maximum number of med students she has shared a house with: 11

Goals: To explore where paediatrics can take her

Financial Specialist:
Semi Hadera

Want to know more?
_{1300 160 160}
_{ENQUIRE NOW >}

The start to Dr Claire Demeo’s career has been enriched by her willingness to seize any positive opportunity that comes her way. And her association with BOQ Specialist has been no different. From a chance meeting at a conference in her first year, to bringing BOQ Specialist on as an event sponsor at a conference in 2023; Dr Demeo’s relationship with BOQ Specialist is one where everyone succeeds.

With a degree in science under her belt, including a research component, it was Dr Demeo’s supervisor who had recommended clinical research as a career path, which would lead her to medical school to find her passion.

‘When I was an intern, I really loved all my rotations,’ she says. ‘During COVID I was doing a regional rotation in Shepparton [Victoria], and I got a lot of exposure to lots of different paediatric presentations. Being a regional hospital, it also meant that I got to go to the deliveries and see the neonates, and also the adolescent patients. I got a broad scope of exposure to paediatrics, and it's probably from there that I decided that's what I wanted to pursue.’

Clinical notes

Name:
Dr Claire Demeo
Specialty:
Trainee paediatrician
Years practising:
2
Maximum number of
med students she has shared
a house with:
11
Goals:
To explore where paediatrics
can take her
Financial Specialist:
Semi Hadera

Want to know more?
_{1300 160 160}
_{ENQUIRE NOW >}

The start to Dr Claire Demeo’s career has been enriched by her willingness to seize any positive opportunity that comes her way. And her association with BOQ Specialist has been no different. From a chance meeting at a conference in her first year, to bringing BOQ Specialist on as an event sponsor at a conference in 2023; Dr Demeo’s relationship with BOQ Specialist is one where everyone succeeds.

With a degree in science under her belt, including a research component, it was Dr Demeo’s supervisor who recommended clinical research as a career path, which would lead her to medical school to find her passion.

‘When I was an intern, I really loved all my rotations,’ she says. ‘During COVID I was doing a regional rotation in Shepparton [Victoria], and I got a lot of exposure to lots of different paediatric presentations. Being a regional hospital, it also meant that I got to go to the deliveries and see the neonates, and also the adolescent patients. I got a broad scope of exposure to paediatrics, and it's probably from there that I decided that's what I wanted to pursue.’

‘When I received the opportunity to sign up for a credit card with BOQ Specialist, I didn’t hesitate. Its salary packaging benefits and Qantas Points were really big incentives for me.’
— Dr Claire Demeo

Right place, right time

It was in her first year of medical school at The University of Melbourne where Dr Demeo came across BOQ Specialist. When attending the MDSC Conference, she met BOQ Specialist’s Semi Hadera, and realised how they could help her on the long path to specialist registration. ‘I hadn't really thought about banking up until then, and Semi was really good at explaining all of my options,’ she says.

One of the options Semi mentioned was signing up for a credit card with BOQ Specialist. ‘The salary packaging benefits and Qantas Points were really big incentives for me. The card also offers other opportunities like travel insurance, which I have used while travelling throughout my internship.’

It's who you know

Dr Demeo’s relationship with BOQ Specialist has had other benefits outside of banking – like event sponsorship. When the 2023 Academy of Child and Adolescent Health Conference (ACAH23) was being hosted in Melbourne, Dr Demeo was involved in the event, putting her hand up to find sponsors for the conference – her first thought was to reach out to BOQ Specialist. ‘I thought it was a good opportunity for BOQ Specialist to be involved, firstly because I had such a good experience with them, but also because there would be a different market there in terms of paediatricians, trainees, students interested in paediatrics, and consultants and more senior paediatricians.’

‘Because I already knew Semi and she's been really supportive throughout the years that I've known her, it certainly felt more comfortable reaching out and having someone familiar in the organisation compared to the big companies where I knew no one.’

‘It's always hard starting somewhere new, so taking a few years to truly get to know the place and the people, and the work, is good. I plan to stay here for my three years of basic training.’
— Dr Claire Demeo

The year ahead

2024 will see Dr Demeo heading to Adelaide, where she is on the accredited PGY2 training pathway for the paediatric program.

‘It's always hard starting somewhere new, so taking a few years to truly get to know the place and the people, and the work, is good. I plan to stay here for my three years of basic training. And then hopefully, fingers crossed, if I pass the exams, I'll go on to do advanced training,’ says Dr Demeo.

‘I'm tossing up between general paediatrics or a different subspecialty, but I haven't had a lot of exposure to those yet. In the next few years I hope to get more exposure to things like paediatric cardiology and paediatric endocrinology and see what interests me. But at the moment, I've got a very open mind.’

And BOQ Specialist will be there alongside her all the way.

Best Practice

BOQ Specialist’s Semi Hadera first met Dr Demeo when she helped set up her student banking package in her final year of university. ‘As a medical student about to transition into the workforce, we educated her around how to use the credit card and the overdraft facility. For many students, that’s their first real exposure to liaising with the bank.’ BOQ Specialist would also go on to sponsor the ACAH23 conference, which is all thanks to the relationship with Claire.

‘She reached out to us, to see if this would be something we're interested in, off the back of a really good experience that she had as a client.’

Semi Hadera
0409 432 689
semi.hadera@boqspecialist.com.au

10 tips for living on a student budget

There are enterprising students who manage to juggle a job with academia, while putting aside a buffer of savings. The question is, how?

READ MORE

How to boost your savings while studying

Saving might not seem like a priority while you're still at university, but preparing for financial independence will help you set up for next stage of your life and your career.

Important information

The issuer and credit provider of these products and services is BOQ Specialist – a division of Bank of Queensland Limited ABN 32 009 656 740 AFSL and Australian credit licence no. 244616 (“BOQ Specialist”). Terms and conditions, fees and charges, and lending and eligibility criteria apply. Any information is of a general nature only. We have not taken into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs when preparing it. Before acting on this information you should consider if it is appropriate for your situation. You should obtain and consider the relevant terms and conditions and, if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) from the BOQ Specialist website before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. BOQ Specialist is not offering financial, tax, or legal advice. You should obtain independent financial, tax and legal advice as appropriate. We reserve the right to cease offering these products at any time without notice.

BOQ Specialist card insurances are underwritten by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited (ABN 23 001 642 020, AFSL No. 239687) (Chubb). BOQ Specialist has entered into a Group Policy for the benefit of cardholders. Terms, conditions, exclusions, limits and eligibility criteria apply to insurances. Before making a decision, consider the full terms and conditions for each complimentary insurance policy you are eligible for at www.boqspecialist.com.au. BOQ Specialist does not guarantee this insurance. Chubb and BOQ Specialist only provide general advice and do not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.