VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 26
PERSONAL
OUTLOOK
MY MOTHER LEFT MY FATHER IN THE DAYS
BEFORE GREEK WOMEN LEFT THEIR HUSBANDS.
WHEN YOU'RE A CLINICIAN, BEING ATTUNED
TO FAMILY VIOLENCE IS A CONSTANT PART
OF YOUR PRACTICE.
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My heritage is Greek, and my parents’
marriage was an arranged one. It was
an unsuccessful match and my mother
absconded to safety with three young
children. I was eight, my sister was 15
and my brother was 10. It was a hard time.
She was a single mother with three young
children and spoke fragmented English.
She worked three or four jobs, so she
wasn't home much. But my mother never
complained. She was never bitter. She just
got on with the present. Her stoicism really
had an impact on me; she was my rock.
HIGH SCHOOL WAS AWFUL FOR ME.
THE KIDS WERE VERY RACIST AND TO EVADE
THE TAUNTING, I’D HIDE IN THE LIBRARY.
This worked to my advantage as I
immersed myself in books. When at home,
my routine revolved around helping to
prepare the meals, my own study, as well
as helping mum with her English (CAE)
Council of Adult Education study and
cleaning the house. From the age of seven,
I knew that I wanted to be a doctor and
drew inspiration from watching M*A*S*H
every night.
I LOVE MY KIDS AND LOVE BEING A MOTHER BUT
BEING A FULL-TIME WORKING MUM WAS TOUGH.
I remember finishing work, rushing to pick
the kids up from school with that lump
my throat, knowing that I was going to be
late and worrying that my kids were going
to be standing in the playground on their
own. When I see young working mothers
with their children now, I think “Thank
goodness I'm not doing that anymore!”
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AMA VI C TO RIA
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When you ask those extra questions
around how things are going on at home,
your female patients will often divulge
stuff they otherwise wouldn't. Give them
space by pausing, looking at them intently
and saying, “Looks like there’s a lot on
your plate. Can you tell me how things
are at home?” This often leads to a deeper
understanding around their condition.
TO ACHIEVE GENDER EQUITY, WE NEED MORE
MEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONVERSATION.
Gender equity primarily aims to empower
women by addressing existing systemic
imbalances. However, men will also benefit
from achieving gender equity in society
because I think that just as women have
been forced out of roles, men have been
forced into certain roles too. Not all men
are comfortable living the life that they're
living. Some would like less travel, more
time with family.
WE NEED TO HAVE A FLEXIBLE, FLUID APPROACH
TO CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT.
At the heart of this is childcare; adequate,
funded childcare and an employment
culture that looks at people as contributors
to society, not just contributors to the
business or industry they're in.
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