VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 37
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CAREER
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MEN TEND TO COME AND SEE ME FOR THEIR
SURGERY WHEN THEY CAN'T DO THE THINGS
THEY WANT TO DO, WHILE WOMEN COME AND
SEE ME WHEN THEY CAN'T DO THE THINGS
THEY NEED TO DO.
I’ve noticed that women often put
up with their pain and give up a lot of
hobbies and interests that give them
joy because they're busy often taking
care of other people. Whereas men tend
to prioritise themselves and their own
wellbeing and interests much sooner.
They might come in when they can't
play golf, for example. The other place I
really see gender differences is when it
comes to WorkCover claims. Women's
pain, disability and dysfunction is often
dismissed by employers, insurers and
independent medical examiners. I find
myself writing more letters than I
would like, calling out those kinds
of biased assessments.
In 2019, I was involved in operationalising
the Australian Medivac legislation for
Refugees in offshore detention.
We coordinated over a thousand
Australian doctors to participate in the
health assessment of asylum seekers in
Manus Island in Nauru. It’s notable that
most of the volunteers were women.
I think women see the broader social
responsibility aspect of projects and
endeavours like this. Our leadership team
were all women, and the working groups,
were all led by women, though I would
acknowledge the many men who also
volunteered their time and expertise.
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