For those preparing for the GAMSAT and considering a future in medicine, this encore episode offers valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of the journey ahead. Lucas Quinn spent years as a nurse before finally making the switch to medical school. As a mature-age student it has been a steep learning curve. Life's a challenge as Luke strives to "co-prioritise" studies with his commitment…
Infectious Diseases Physician Dr Aiveen Bannan has spent almost two decades building a career in infectious diseases at Port Macquarie Base Hospital in New South Wales, proving that highly specialised medicine can thrive in a regional community. From patient care and public health to teaching the next generation of doctors, she shares why regional practice has offered her a rewarding and varied…
Dr Gabe Sanchez never expected psychiatry to become his calling. After training as a pharmacist and pursuing a career in general surgery, he made the difficult decision to change specialties in pursuit of a career that better aligned with his values, family life and long-term goals. Now a psychiatry registrar at Wagga Base Hospital, Gabe reflects on finding purpose in regional medicine, the…
With 2027 RDN Cadetship applications now open, this episode is a timely reminder of where the opportunity can lead... Dr Nicholas Ireland's journey through life to becoming a NSW Regional Doctors Network Cadet has been a long and demanding one. Expelled from boarding school in year 11, he first became a sheet metalworker on what he describes as a subsistence wage. But it was while he was working…
Lachlan MacMillan's route to medicine has been anything but traditional. After leaving school to become a carpenter, he spent years working across rural and remote Australia, from cattle stations and horseback tours to conservation work in the Kimberley, before a series of medical emergencies sparked an unexpected passion for healthcare. Now studying medicine through the School of Rural Health in…
ENCORE: This Thank a First Responder Day, we proudly replay this episode, celebrating those who serve and support our communities every day. Soaring to the heights of rural and remote medicine - and not just in RFDS planes - Dr Jessica Martyn has enjoyed an extremely varied and exciting career. Dr Martyn, who is now the Head of Unit at the Port Augusta Hospital Emergency Department, has a passion…
In recognition of National Reconciliation week, we are replaying "Reflections on belonging - Tristan Marino's journey from music to medicine. What are your pillars of belonging? For Tristan Marino, they are his Aboriginal and Maori family, his connections to community and friends and now, medicine as well. Tristan started out studying music at a conservatory, doing simultaneous studies in nursing…
From suburban Queensland to clinical training in Wagga Wagga - fourth-year medical student Natalie Vear has wholly embraced rural medicine. A former exercise physiologist and postdoctoral research fellow with a PhD in exercise cardio-oncology, Nat shares how a childhood fascination with life on the land evolved into a passion for rural generalism and holistic healthcare. Now completing her medical…
Dr Angus Baumnann took a long, non-linear journey into medicine, that eventually led him to specialise in cardiology. Now based in Alice Springs with his family, and deeply entrenched in the community, Angus couldn't be happier with the trajectory of his career. He also talks about the realities of healthcare access in remote Australia, the joy of contributing to service design and model-building,…
Laura Sliskovic put aside her desire to become an actress and pursue her passion to become a doctor, supporting remote communities with limited access to healthcare. It was through her mother's diagnosis of breast cancer, and the challenges of living in rural Bicheno, on Tasmania's east coast, that Laura understood first-hand the necessity of accessible healthcare for all. Laura's story reflects…
Dan's story has been captivating listeners since 2020. As our most downloaded episode of all time, we thought it was worth a relisten. In retrospect it was the perfect vocational choice. But Dr Daniel Stewart just didn't know it as he rowed hard and fast for Australia, chopping and changing university courses before finally giving medicine a crack. Now based in Dubbo, with a four-minute commute to…