Post his time in the RAAF, Dr Cronin has made the most of the diversity and opportunities rural generalism offers with experience in general practice, anaesthetics, alpine medicine, aeromedical retrieval and more. Andrew now runs Australian Veteran Health Services, a medical practice in Springfield, west of Brisbane which assists military Veterans in their transition from military to civilian life.

We caught up with Dr Cronin to find out more about his extensive career as an RG, tips on veteran healthcare and how he will reflect this ANZAC day.

How did you come to enter the Defence Force?

I have a strong family connection to the Royal Australian Air Force with my father and grandfather serving, and my great grandfather fighting on the Western Front in World War I. Because of that, I spent a lot of time moving around as a kid, living in both urban and rural areas and on Air Force bases. After school, I went to the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra where I completed a four-year degree in engineering before completing two years of pilot training in Perth and then returning to Canberra for a further three years of engineering project work for the Air Force.

How did your journey into medicine and rural generalism begin?

I entered medicine at the University of Queensland where I did four years post graduate training, being heavily involved with the Towards Rural and Outback Health Professionals in Queensland (TROHPIQ) program. Throughout this, I took up placements in Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, and Katherine which really gave me early rural medicine experience. I also worked in a regional area of Germany as part of the UQ international exchange program where I gained an overseas perspective of rural medicine.

After graduating from medical school, I initially entered into surgical training which took me to Cairns and included outreach surgery in locations like Weipa and Thursday Island. A move to Wangaratta piqued my interest in alpine medicine where I further developed skills that would help me in rural medicine. Following a return to Queensland and additional surgical training in Bundaberg, I made the decision to leave surgery and go in a different direction.

A mentor suggested I go into rural generalism. This led me to Tully Hospital where I was on the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) pathway. Tully, being on a major

highway is essentially a trauma hospital, in addition to being a birthing hospital, so you gain the skills you need as part of the package of being a rural doctor. I then moved on to Mossman (FNQ) where I was able to learn different skills, including in Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Health.

Wanting to explore retrieval medicine, I made my way to Mackay where I completed my anaesthetics training to be able to begin helicopter retrievals across inland Queensland. I continued to pursue retrieval medicine through travel insurance work which took me to islands across the South Pacific before spending six years with the Royal Flying Doctor Service based out of Charleville (Qld).

What is the focus of the Australian Veteran Health Services practice?

Veterans often aren’t engaging with medical services post discharge, and we know the higher risk of suicide that presents in veterans, so we have established a practice solely focused on veteran medicine.

What I translate from my rural experience is that you can recognise and assist with a high mental health trauma load for patients. Working in the city you would refer a patient to a psychologist easily, but working rural you need to be able to be able to recognise mental health early, intervene early and organise for appropriate follow up – usually with yourself as the treating practitioner. In our practice we provide telehealth services for veterans where their rural GP needs assistance. My experience helps them access services they are entitled to.

What advice would you give to Rural GPs and RGs working with veteran patients?

The most important thing to consider is the undiagnosed and unrecognised mental health issues that could be present. Mental health screening is an important tool for this so you can engage with issues early. Musculoskeletal issues, especially in the lower limbs, are also commonly suffered by veterans as well as unrecognised chronic pain.

It is also important that patients understand what services they are entitled to. Anyone who has served in any capacity in the Defence Force may be entitled to DVA assistance.

What advice would you give to an aspiring RG?

I do think it takes a certain personality type to thrive in the RG environment, but what you gain out of it is resilience. There is also such a variety of work being an RG. Your training means you can do everything and that opens up huge opportunities. You can go do retrievals, work in Antarctica or the South Pacific as some examples.

Rural generalism was great for me because I was able to get out and experience most aspects of medicine. I’ve even presented to the aerospace society on how to give an anaesthetic in space. It offers the excitement and challenge that you need, but it also gives you the robust skill set that will get you a job anywhere.

How will you be commemorating ANZAC Day?

I really enjoyed my time in the Air Force and all of the great mates I made along the way who are still my mates today. I also have a lot to thank the Air Force for the person that it helped me become and it was great to be able to follow in my family’s footsteps. I will be marching in the ANZAC parade on Thursday and am looking forward to catching up with fellow veterans.