An Interview with Doctor Dom

Firstly, tell us when did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?

I had a hard time deciding at the end of high school.  All I knew was that I wanted to do something that was fulfilling and contributed to society (I was quite idealistic), and played to my academic strengths (mainly science-based).  When I was at an appointment with my GP, who I’ve known most of my life, that’s when I first thought about doing medicine and being a doctor – it certainly fit the criteria I had set for myself, and she seemed like a really cool lady . 

How did you end up in Broome from your previous life and studies in Townsville, North Queensland?

A bit of a round-about story – I’ve lived and completed all of my schooling and university in North Queensland (about 21 years in all).  From early on I have always wanted to travel but could never afford it.  Working as a doctor presented the first opportunity to do so, and I decided on Perth as I had been there once before briefly and liked it.  Then this year I went to visit one of my good friends who lives in Broome.  In my opinion, people who live in northern Australia are friendly and laid back, and I didn’t realise that I missed it!  There was a good job going so I took it.

What type of work do you do at the Hospital?

I work in the Emergency Department.  I like it because you get to see a variety of things and call upon knowledge from more than one medical specialty.  And of course, there are high-pressure situations that gets the adrenaline going, and are interesting.

Tell us about the area you are interested in specialising in and why you chose it?

Short answer – I don’t know!  There are many career paths you can take when you graduate with a medical degree.  You spend the first few years rotating through different areas before deciding on specialising.  I have been working for 18 months and was expecting to be able to narrow down my interests.  But it hasn’t worked out that way!  I know what I want to achieve as a doctor and that is that I want to contribute to society (does that sound corny?)

There is currently a disparity in health equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in part due to lack of access to health services. So I would like to spend some time working in the Aboriginal health field.  I’d also like to work in developing countries with an organisation like Doctors Without Borders.  I could achieve these goals through a variety of specialties – emergency medicine, medical physician, general practitioner, public health, Paediatrics…

“I’m still adjusting to being recognised by people I have treated at work when I am out at the pub.  I find it a little awkward; I could never be a celebrity!

You have been living in Broome for a little while now, can you tell us a little bit about what you like and don’t like about it?

There are lots of things to like about Broome.  The landscape is beautiful and so different to anything else I’ve seen in Australia, and it has the best beaches. One of the best places I like to visit is Gantheaume Point.  I like the contrast between of the red craggy cliff against the azure of the ocean.  And the people are really friendly!!! (Their friendliness deserves three exclamation marks). 

I’m still adjusting to being recognised by people I have treated at work when I am out at the pub.  I find it a little awkward; I could never be a celebrity.

Can you tell us a little about how you cope living so far away from your family and the friends you grew up with?

Huge mobile phone bills and Facebook usage!  And, unfortunately a large carbon footprint from lots of flights to visit family and friends.  I know Skype isn’t that hard to use but I am still yet to figure it out, but it’s on my to do list. 

Tell us about your living situation in Broome and who you hang out with at the end of a long day?

One of my best friends already lives here and is also a doctor at Broome Hospital. That made it really easy! We share house, and also friends. She would call it adopting her friends, which is probably more accurate. Her boyfriend cooks for me as well which is pretty funny.

What is one of the most interesting environmental or social organisations in Broome you are aware of?

The Conservation Volunteers of Australia has a turtle-monitoring program, which I am a part of.  The Flatback Turtle is only found in Australia, but very little is known about the size of the population and where they migrate to, which is pretty important if we want to protect them.  It's held over summer and I'll spend some of the mornings walking along Cable Beach looking for turtle tracks and nests.  I also like the work of Save The Kimberley, which support appropriate development of the Kimberley, taking into account the pristine wilderness of the area and the various communities.

What has your work as a Doctor taught you about the community you live in?

That lots of people work on boats and get nasty skin infections when they expose any cuts they sustain to seawater.  On a more serious note, there is a higher proportion of Aboriginal people up here than down south.  This presents more of a health challenge due to their often worse health status than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

What are some of the best and worst experiences you have had working as a Doctor?

Most days I am challenged intellectually and hardly ever bored.  After working a variety of jobs through high school and university, including long stints in hospitality, I know I’ve got a good job.  If pressed to say anything for worst experiences, I guess I could say that depending on what particular specialty you’re in, you can be doing a lot of overtime and not having a good work-life balance. Getting this balance right is vitally important, but is sometimes hard to achieve.

What advice would you give to a girl at school thinking about studying to become a Doctor?

It’s a long degree.  Have a good support group – be nice to your family, and make good, genuine friends.  You’ll be doing a lot of study, but don’t forget to have fun as well.

Photographer: Anthea Paul