Since we last spoke to Dr Dickson, he has been awarded Fellowship, and the adventure has kept rolling on. Now stationed on Macquarie Island in the far southwest of the Pacific Ocean, Dr Dickson recently shared an update with us, on what it’s like to be the expedition doctor on one of Australia’s most remote and isolated outposts. 

Update from Dr Robert Dickson 

At the moment I'm working on Macquarie Island - a World Heritage Area around 1500km southeast of Hobart on which the Australian Antarctic Program maintains a permanent research station. I'm not even halfway through a 12-month posting.   

It is the classic niche Antarctic medical experience - you are the on-site surgeon, anaesthetist, physiotherapist, pharmacist, radiographer, dentist, counsellor etc. But expedition medicine is all about prevention, and the Antarctic Program has a long successful history managing risk and preventing medical drama. So, the work more accurately involves maintaining the medical facility, occupational health and navigating my way in a small isolated community of only 16 people. The island is high on natural beauty, but the remoteness is inescapable. Needless to say, this is teaching me a lot. About the value of self-awareness. About what's required to thrive in a team which has to work, eat and relax together. About the resilience which can come from navigating life's hurdles without your normal supports.   

These lessons are all very relevant to rural general practice - they all help with the never-ending journey to build an ability to help patients with sticky logistical, emotional and ethical dilemmas. The kinds of dilemmas that don't have therapeutic guidelines. 

Rural generalism both enables and encourages this type of work. As a medical career, rural generalism is unparalleled in terms of the potential diversity and the ability to personalise your experience. Of course, training with ACRRM is focused on developing a broad skillset and knowledge base. But as far as I'm concerned, what ACRRM really pioneers is providing registrars with the flexibility and affirmation to also set goals of their own and to develop their own particular expertise based on their strengths, as well as what they see as the needs of their community. Life isn't 'one size fits all' and rural generalism reflects this. 

Read part 1 of Dr Dickson's story here.