Growing up across Geelong, Germany, the United Kingdom and Melbourne, Dr Julia De Boos never imagined she would be working in emergency care in some of the most remote areas of Australia. But, as the Director of Emergency Medical Training and Senior Medical Officer at Mt Isa Base Hospital, coupled with working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), she is thriving in a career and a community that inspires and motivates her.

“There is a lot of need in this region,” Dr De Boos explains. “We cover an area from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Lake Nash in Northern Territory and Cloncurry; it’s 10 per cent bigger than the state of Victoria and a scattered population.

“The community is very diverse, including more than 50 cultures. “It’s important to know and understand them and their perception of health.”

For Dr De Boos, this cultural diversity is the catalyst for her passion working in the region. That, and the ability to pursue her passion of clinical forensic medicine and indigenous and remote health.

Following completion of school, Dr De Boos undertook study in Arts and Science. She soon chose to pursue a career in medicine with the intention of working in obstetrics. Circumstances led to her falling into a career as an emergency physician. “It didn’t take long before I learnt that I really loved it, and I completed Fellowship with the Australian College of Emergency Medicine.

Today, while working in Mt Isa and Townville and travelling to deliver Advanced Paediatric Life Support training, she is completing Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

Dr De Boos says choosing to train on ACRRM’s Independent Pathway made sense. “It provides Recognition of Prior Learning of emergency medicine as my Advanced Specialist Training and is flexible in its delivery. “I am undertaking six months working with a community organisation, which is the RFDS, and 10 months working in a remote hospital at Mt Isa; both things I am passionate about.

“In this role, three quarters of my time is spent working clinically, and the remainder is coordinating training for the interns and residents in the ACRRM and ACEM programs.

“It is my passion for clinical forensic medicine and working with different cultures in the community that make Mt Isa such a great place to be.”

Dr De Boos current responsibilities include training junior doctors in undertaking detailed physical assessments of patients presenting with assault injuries. Dr De Boos also reviews police investigation notes, statements and photos to provide expert opinion, often in Court.

“We have the most amazing community in Mt Isa, but it isn’t without incidents of assault and domestic violence. “It happens across all cultures, and as important as it is to have expert clinical knowledge, it’s also vital to know and understand these cultures and ensure communication is patent led.”

With a passion for serving communities and a desire to continue developing knowledge and skills to serve their needs, Dr De Boos understands the value of adding Fellowship with ACRRM to her professional qualifications.

For more information on training towards Fellowship with ACRRM on the Independent Pathway, visit our website.