Tell us about your journey into rural generalism and why you chose ACRRM. 

I remember wanting to be a doctor from a young age. There were no other doctors in the family, but my parents were fully supportive of my dream. I loved growing up in Far North Queensland and the holidays we took throughout outback Queensland and the Northern Territory – I think all of this only grew my passion to work in a rural area.  

I studied medicine at JCU. Having both placements and a curriculum focused on rural, remote, tropical and Indigenous medicine only further cemented my passion. I was in the fourth cohort through JCU and signed up to the RGP in my 2nd year. ACRRM was the clear choice for me fulfilling my educational needs for fellowship in a career I was aiming for. 

What does it take to be a Rural Generalist and do the work you do?  

Interest, passion and a love of problem solving. A career as a Rural Generalist is about providing high-quality healthcare in rural and remote settings, but you don’t have all the resources that the urban facilities do, so in a way you need to enjoy the challenges that arise with this type of work while also working to bridge the gap and improve the service.  

Describe your journey to Fellowship with ACRRM. 

A journey of life; marriage, motherhood and community support and commitment... The FACRRM I am today is not who I thought I would be at university - and that’s ok. I planned to do an AST in Obstetrics and was only going to be in Babinda for 12 months... well, 1 husband, 3 children, 2 ASTs and 12 years on and I’m still in Babinda. I suddenly realised that leaving Babinda to pursue an AST in O&G would only create a gap I had helped patch up. Babinda didn't need obstetrics and I was happy and content working in the community. ACRRM training not only provided me with the emergency, hospital and primary care training that I required, but it also meant I could change my AST to meet my community’s needs.  

What is your AST and how do you think this skill helps your community?  

I have two. Population health, which gives me a greater understanding and appreciation of the population ages, workforce, management of community needs, outbreaks and even with pandemics. After I had my third child, I completed my AST in Emergency Medicine. Working in a Level 2 Emergency Department in Both Babinda and Yarrabah this AST has given me the confidence to assess and treat patients and lead resuscitations.  

What does a typical day at work entail? What challenges do you face working in a rural area?  

I really enjoy the generalist work that an RG career involves as my day can entail any type of presentation, depending on where I’m rostered. Babinda is a multi-purpose health service providing emergency, hospital, general practice and residential aged care services to the community. My work in Yarrabah is with the emergency service in Queensland’s largest discrete indigenous community. Being the Director of Medical Services means I also have administrative tasks from rostering through to service planning.  

How do you manage your professional development?  

I create a learning plan each year, like a ‘to do list’ of what professional development I need to do and what I would like to extend and achieve. I then look at what needs to be done through our HHS and by utilising ACRRMs Professional Development Program I supplement it with courses. The online learning platform is very helpful, not just for those sitting fellowship exams but for ongoing use, including maintaining scope of practice, refreshing skills and to learn what’s new. 

What advice would you give to medical students and junior doctors who are thinking about training as a Rural Generalist?  

I took every opportunity to do rural placements in a range of areas in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory through university and scholarship systems (QRGP and John Flynn).  

Networking on placement and having discussions with your mentors/supervisors and colleagues are key. These experiences and conversations from a range of different locations, systems and facilities helped me to know that I was interested in rural generalism. The beauty of it is that you can change your special interest as years go on as your interest changes. It’s a flexible pathway to take from rural to urban GP or hospital and back again depending on what life throws your way.