ACRRM students, registrars and Fellows have one thing in common - a desire to See More, Do More and Be More. Whether they are working in central Victoria, on the rugged Western Australian coastline, in the tropics of North Queensland or the farmlands of New South Wales and further afield, they are committed to being the best Rural Generalist they can, supporting rural and remote people with excellent health care. Enjoy their stories here.
Many of our members at ACRRM have gone on to win awards. Check out our awards page here.
If you are an ACRRM Rural Generalist and would like to share your story, contact the membership team at membership@acrrm.org.au.
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Tell us a little bit about your background.
As a medical student I got to work in different fields of medicine, and I realised that I was attracted to multiple medical specialties. It wasn’t until my final year of medical school that I was lucky enough to work with Rural Generalists and I realised that I could do it all and didn’t have to settle for just one field of medicine.
I completed my Advanced Specialised Training (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) in Tamworth and then relocated to Mudgee at the start of 2021 to continue my training. What attracted me to Mudgee was the amazing team I get to work with and the fact it is a beautiful town.
Why did you choose your advanced skill in obstetrics and gynaecology?
The reason that I chose obstetrics and gynaecology is because I love the mix of procedural work and medicine. I get to watch women throughout the antenatal care and then follow them up postnatally and watch their children grow up, which I think is very cool! I also get to operate and be really hands on.
How do you balance your advanced skill with general practice?
My skills as an obstetrician match well to my everyday working life as a GP. I follow women from the first moment they find out they’re pregnant, continue with their pregnancy journey, deliver their babies (which is amazing and I’m very grateful to be able to do that) and I then get to follow them up postnatally and watch their children grow up.
It’s a really supportive working arrangement that I have at the hospital, and I’m really lucky to be able to do it.
What is the best thing about being a rural generalist?
I love being a Rural Generalist. It is probably the most rewarding thing that I can think of to be able to do in medicine. There is nothing that I don’t do on a day-to-day basis, I get to play in palliative care, pediatrics, women’s health, men’s health and everything in between. Why choose one specialty when you can do a little bit of everything and being a rural generalist allows me to do that.
The best part of being a Rural Generalist is that you become part of the wider team and community. The community are very supportive knowing that you are an obstetrician, if I’m running late my patients in general practice are always happy to wait or move appointments.
Why did you choose Western NSW and Mudgee for your training?
When I was looking at subregions to train in, I wanted to make sure that I had access to a procedural hospital and Western NSW really spoke to me because it’s got a bunch of amazing towns such as Mudgee. Mudgee is supportive of my advanced skill and I’m able to practice it here.
"What I love most about Rural Generalism is its unpredictable nature and the breadth of what you can do in a day. It's never boring. Every day is a choose your own adventure."Dr Melissa Price-PurnellFACRRM