VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 13
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CAREER
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MY CAREER HAS WOVEN BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN CLINICAL MEDICINE, HEALTH LAW,
AND GOVERNANCE.
After leaving high school, I was undecided
between medicine and law, so I enrolled for
both thinking that it would quickly become
apparent which one was the career for me.
I ended up completing degrees in law and
medicine concurrently, and 30 years later
I still haven't made up my mind. After
initially training in public health medicine,
and then working as a lawyer, I returned to
specialty training in psychiatry at age 43.
I’m happiest when I'm combining clinical
work with research and leadership roles.
I CHOOSE TO WORK IN AREAS OF MEDICINE
THAT ARE OFTEN UNDERFUNDED AND
UNDERAPPRECIATED.
During the pandemic, I chaired the Clinical
Quality Committee at Summerset, where
we were responsible for protecting the
safety of over 7,000 elderly residents and
2,000 aged care staff. Aged care can be
a competitive sector, but improving the
quality of care is important for everyone,
so we worked collaboratively to establish
a national benchmarking scheme for New
Zealand’s aged care providers. An Australian
project that I'm especially proud of is the
Cornelia Project. It’s a wonderful initiative
of The Royal Women's Hospital to provide
pregnant women who are experiencing
homelessness with safe accommodation
and compassionate healthcare.
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