Tell us about your own journey into medicine.

I’m a Torres Strait Islander, by the time I had turned 20, I had already lost count of how many funerals I’d attended. I’d spent countless hours in clinic waiting rooms and from a young age helped my mother care for multiple family members with various chronic diseases. As I got older, I worked in various roles with people with disabilities who often had very complex medical needs. From a patient and patient’s family perspective I have had plenty of exposure to the good, the bad and the mediocre of patient care. Although being fascinated by medicine the idea of actually being a doctor was such an alien concept it took quite a few years of doing other things before finally giving it a go. The decider was realising I could continue to rant about my frustration with the failings of the health system or I could be a part of change. My mother often reminded me I have been afforded opportunities she never had and I should not waste them, so here I am trying not to waste an opportunity to change things, even just a little bit for patients in my care.

What made you want to pursue a career as a Rural Generalist?

Mostly I’ve never been able to contain my interest to just one area of medicine and thinking about systems in isolation without consideration of the whole has never made much sense to me. Rural Generalists look at the whole, not just the flavour of the day.

They not only consider all the health issues a person has, they put it into context of what is happening in that person’s life, family and community. That and they have mad skills... when your colleague says ‘you’ll just have to MacGyver it’ you know you’ve found your tribe.

How are you working towards breaking down gender bias in your workplace, personal life or in training?

I’m a mum with two little people at home and I work full-time. My husband has taken on the task of being the flexible parent and manages quite well to not only ensure their survival but create a home where they thrive. Many people find it difficult to fathom a dad as a primary carer and often need reminding that he is as much their parent as I am. My children have two parents one is at home more often than the other, but they always have at least one of us, which is not that different to most other families except that its mum that’s at work.

Do you have a mentor who has inspired you throughout your Rural Generalist training and work?

Too many to single out one, I have been fortunate to have worked with many doctors at different levels that have been inspiring for different reasons. Some have blown me away with information they manage to hold in their head, others for their straight-forward practical approaches and a few for their kindness.

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

Give a rural rotation a go. If you have a partner or family, talk to them about it. Talk to them about what their expectations are for work and schooling and spend the time working out what you want for family in 5- and 10-years' time. Relationships matter and it helps to try align your expectations, if it’s going to work long term they have to be in it with you.