Embracing ‘the luck of the Irish’ for O&G advocacy

Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council?

It was Dr Mike Gannon’s inspirational words… he said that although I’d probably be a better fit if I was a different gender, age demographic and ethnicity, no one else had applied and they were getting desperate.

When did you decide to specialise in O&G?

My mum (a midwife) told me the world already had too many men in my field. But from my first O&G experience as a medical student in Dublin, I thought there was no better job in medicine (Mum has forgiven me!). In my recent talk on O&G careers to UWA final year medical students, I asked them in what other job could they bring new life into the world; prevent new life coming into the world; help a woman and her family come to terms with the worst thing she’s ever likely to experience (perinatal loss); prevent, treat and possibly cure cancer; cure incontinence; improve sex; and banish periods? And sometimes it’s all in one day!

What has been your medical focus in 2023?

Getting the new Women & Babies Hospital to be tri-located, and ensuring safe, high-quality care for women and newborns – both north and south of the Derbal Yaragan – regardless of the hospital’s eventual location. 

As clinicians, we want to work constructively with all stakeholders to ensure true world-class healthcare, but we need to hold people to account if what they propose is not in our patients’ best interests.

Tell us about yourself outside of work.

So far in life, I’ve been very lucky (I’m Irish, which helps). I’m married to Katrina Calvert – this was the luckiest I ever got, and we have three great children who have consistently taught me more than I’ve ever taught them. I used to box competitively while at medical school, but now I run to keep my beer belly under control and ponder life’s problems. We are dog-obsessed, and my best early mornings are spent running with our two crazy but beautiful Irish setters.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

I am a nerd who struggles with work-life balance – but if you enjoy your work, is it really work? 

Who, or what, inspires you?

I’m inspired by a wide variety of people nearly every day. Often, it’s a patient, a family member, a friend, student or work colleague. For example, recently one of the med students got up and gave a great impromptu talk on Effective Altruism, despite it being exam time, and asked his classmates to donate 1 per cent of their salaries as newly qualified doctors. 

What’s your life mantra?

This depends on whether I’m having to run up one of life’s hills or cruising down one. I try to remember what a lucky bugger I am, regardless. Post referendum, I try to keep positive with the poet Amanda Gorman’s words: “For there is always light. If only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”