Tell us about your journey into medicine. What made you choose to go rural?

A career goal to work with the disadvantaged was my main incentive and both Medicine and Education are well known career paths that lead to changing a person’s trajectory of poverty and hence, making a difference.  I trained and commenced my medical career in the city – Sydney NSW but was always aware of the health disparity between socio-economic groups and the described disadvantage of populations, especially in rural / remote communities as well as a lesser access to health services and resources.

I wanted to challenge my skills and knowledge where there was not the usual back-up of city services and resources. I took a break from the city ‘hum drum’ and found the challenge in the Western Deserts of Central Australia. Surprisingly, I also found more- career satisfaction, personal growth and enormous spiritual reward.

As the Director, Addiction and Clinical forensic Medicine at Alice Springs Hospital, what challenges have you faced in addressing drug and alcohol addiction in your community?   

Many challenges including:

• Changing stigma about people from emotive, hopeless, negative language to that of positive, warm engagement imbued with a sense of hope.
• Creating a desired learning space for GP and Addiction medicine registrars and RMOs as well as other health providers and having this accredited for specialist training
• Developing collaborative relationships between community organisations and hospital care.
• Providing a service known for care, support, compassion and successes.
• Extending service boundaries in response to identified gaps in care and need.

Why is drug and alcohol addiction education important? How are the needs different in rural communities?

Drugs and alcohol extend into every facet of life. Both have been used since time immemorial to address the ailments of life well-being and generally have a low safety therapeutic index (for the individual, their families and the broader community).

Every field of medicine is impacted by drugs, alcohol and addiction.

A robust knowledge about the effects of drugs and alcohol and how to help, treat and mitigate the negative impact is something that every health practitioner should have some foundation in.

Rural and remote communities are well known to have a significant burden of impact from these and so every one of us working in these areas owes it to our patients to be informed and able to at least begin the therapeutic journey with them.

You have been integral in the development and delivery of the ACRRM Drug and Alcohol Addiction Education (DAAE) Program. Why is enrolling in this education important for rural doctors?

Rural and remote doctors are identified as having a vocation and strong dedication to community and the empowerment of their populations. Alcohol and drugs are strong detractors from this empowerment and having tools that enable us to address the negative health and social impacts can only but help our communities to grow and flourish. The DAAE “Driving Change” education program has been particularly geared to provide specific and relevant knowledge and add-on skills useful for our R&R doctors.

What would you say to anyone thinking of enrolling in the program?

No matter what your driver, you will come away with information, knowledge and skills applicable in your clinical practice and even outside of it.  A must have knowledge and confidence for your medical toolkit.

What advice would you give to junior doctors who are thinking about going rural?

A career and vocation where all the pluses of work, life, excitement and joy balances are possible. Rural and remote medicine, unfortunately a too well-kept secret!

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For more information and to enrol into the ACRRM Drug and Alcohol Addiction (DAAE) Program, click here.