Dr Ho’s remarkable journey from Adelaide to the remote communities of the NT is highlighted by unexpected twists and turns that ultimately shaped her career. 

Dr Ho's first encounter with the NT came during her fourth year of medical school with an opportunity to do a General Practitioner (GP) placement. She was offered a choice between a city placement in Adelaide, or a rural placement in Katherine, 320 kilometres southeast of Darwin. Despite initial reservations about working in a town she had never heard of, she embraced the opportunity to go to Katherine, diving headfirst into the challenges of rural medicine during the wet season. She says it rained so much during those eight weeks that the Katherine River started to rise and flood over the roads.

In Katherine, Dr Ho got to work with many rural GPs and Rural Generalists (RGs) working in both clinics and hospitals. One RG had advanced skills in surgery and was able to take out appendixes, something that she didn't realise was possible as a GP. Her time in Katherine left a lasting impression, planting the seed for her future in the NT.

During her internship year, Dr Ho really enjoyed the surgical rotations and later started a surgical training program. This led her back to the NT where she did a year and a half of the surgical program in Darwin, as well as rural outreach in both Gove and Katherine.

Through this experience, Dr Ho found immense support and inspiration from RG Surgeons and RG Obstetricians who ultimately encouraged her to join the ACRRM Fellowship program. She found that surgery alone wasn't fulfilling and credits these connections for helping her to navigate the complexities of rural medicine and find her place within it.

Dr Ho now lives in Gove/Nhulunbuy, a remote mining town in the NT. Here, she is in her second year of RG training and splits her time between hospital duties and working in a GP clinic. She is gaining invaluable experience in both Aboriginal health and rural generalism and despite the challenges, finds fulfillment in the close-knit community, the diverse patient population, and the opportunity for continuous learning.

"I'm pretty lucky here in Nhulunbuy. Everyone works together as team because it's such a small town. We're quite aware that we all need to look out for each other. When the chips are down, that's when Nhulunbuy is at its best."

Dr Ho encourages others to consider training and practicing in the NT, "it's important for community to have a wide range of General Practitioners that they can go and see. Its great for patient care." 

Beyond the professional growth opportunities, Dr Ho emphasises the chance to immerse in a vibrant cultural tapestry, where Indigenous traditions coexist with modern life.

As she continues her work in the NT, she embodies the spirit of resilience, adaptability, and community that defines rural medicine in Australia.

Find out more about living and working as a Rural Generalist in the NT.