What we can learn when we listen

When did you first know you wanted to be a doctor?

When I was a teenager, I had quite a bad run with my health and always ended up seeing a doctor. I found it strangely comforting seeing my GP, because he seemed to always have answers to the issues I came in with. When I studied biology and chemistry in high school, I was completely fascinated by how much we know about the human body, and what it can tell us when we listen. Medicine was a natural extension!

You were the Medical Students’ Association of Notre Dame (MSAND) President. How did you find the experience of representing the student body?

I certainly learnt a lot about myself in my time on the MSAND Committee. The first thing I found was that it was by far the most rewarding role I’ve ever had. I was (and still am) deeply passionate about developing medical teaching, student and DiT wellbeing, and helping medical culture evolve away from its roots. My role on MSAND meant I was able to meet so many incredible leaders and engage in the discussions held at AMA and PMCWA meetings, which students don’t often feel able to do.

What struck you most about the hospital experience when you started work as a DiT?

I probably didn’t expect much to change from medical school, considering how much time you spend at the hospital. But something that struck me was the sense of personal responsibility I feel when it comes to getting everything done in a day of work. As a final-year student, you have a similar level of knowledge, but ultimately you can walk away at the end of the day without doing anything productive – and there are no consequences. Obviously, there are so many layers of cushioning around you as an intern, but even leaving an unfinished discharge summary at the end of the day makes me feel terrible!

What do you see as the main issues facing DiTs?

As someone currently employed by South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS), I’ve certainly seen and heard enough to have an idea of where the work needs to be done. At the moment, I’m working with the AMA to focus on roster breaches and leave which, according to the DiTs around me, almost never gets approved. Additionally, I’ve seen how the culture of not claiming overtime can lead to job dissatisfaction and resentment when it happens too often.

With the new intern cohort, I’m trying hard to normalise the claiming of overtime (even if it is 15 minutes before you start at 8am!) so that it is the bare minimum.

So many of the more senior DiTs around me have hundreds of hours of unclaimed overtime and annual leave accrued, and it is completely unsustainable. Thankfully, the interns around me seem really motivated to change this, and they are really engaging in the industrial relations side of things.

Do you have any heroes and mentors who have guided your path so far?

One of the first people who comes to mind is Dr Max Majedi, who has been working with me in the last year to improve the pain medicine curriculum at Notre Dame. He is living proof of how important it is to focus on the emotional and social sides of patient care, which I’ve found particularly inspiring. Of course, there are also the many women in medicine who have battled through far more than I ever will – Prof Jane Courtney, and Prof Merrilee Needham who has always transformed neurology from something completely incomprehensible into something I can (kind of) understand!

How do you spend and prioritise your time away from medicine?

I think it would be easy to let relationships with friends and family go by the wayside when you’re adjusting to a new job, so I make sure I have time set aside to see those important to me. My partner and I have recently been trying to do a Freo market run and beach dip on a Saturday morning, while it’s still warm! Those who know me well are aware that I’m quite an energetic person, and naturally have about 15 different hobbies on the go at any one time.

Exercise is important to me, and that takes many different forms. I love going to the gym, running, yoga, mixed netball, or anything that tires me out. In the last little while, I’ve also gotten into knitting, which certainly seems to entertain people. Recently I knitted my first ever jumper. Despite taking me the better part of six months, it was honestly one of my greatest achievements!