As a registrar, he was based on Thursday Island where he was awarded the ACRRM-RDAA Rural Registrar of the Year Award in 2008. He completed his ACRRM Fellowship a couple of years later.  

“Being a FACRRM allowed me to do the full range of rural clinical work as well as being supported to be in senior management roles,.” Dr Whitehead says. 

“My FACRRM set me up to do ‘population level’ thinking, as well as continuing to work as a clinician on a one-on-one basis. ACRRM allows you to experience a range of medical specialties so you can work out what you really like to do and go into it as deeply as you care to.” 

Dr Whitehead is currently living in Cairns and working with the ‘Wheels of Wellness’ mobile clinic, a non-government organisation which takes primary healthcare into the community by working with at- risk, vulnerable and homeless members of the community. 

“I do the planning and strategy as well as working as a clinician and providing face-to-face care. I’m getting to use all that knowledge and understanding I gained working in remote areas within a more metropolitan environment, and I still feel like I’m giving back to the rural and remote community.” 

“I think what’s great about ACRRM is if you do end up wanting to move to a more metropolitan area because you have kids, ACRRM supports you to do that and then you can move back again as your life goes on.” 

“I feel like ACRRM is a ‘whole of life Fellowship’ that really caters to you throughout your whole life and career.”  

Dr Whitehead is currently the Medical Lead for the Tropical Public Health Services First Nations COVID-19 Response Team in Cairns.