School sun safety – a hot topic

When did you know you wanted to be a doctor?

I first knew it in high school. My Dad is an ophthalmologist,
so I had been exposed to medicine from an early age. We lived in Israel for a year when I was eight. I got to see medicine in a completely different context, as Dad was working for St John’s Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. That first gave me an understanding of medicine and its ability to heal and help people. I really liked that side of medicine.

Why did you join the AMA?

I joined the AMA as a medical student. I always found the work the AMA did was so important, and I wanted to contribute to something bigger that would benefit our whole profession. Having a strong body that speaks for all doctors is important for us all.

You are married to the current AMA (WA) president. What has it been like during the period of his presidency?

It has been a wonderful experience for us. There have been a lot of late nights, meetings and trips, but it has been great to see Mike rise to all the challenges. I have enjoyed seeing all the behind-the-scenes angles of being an AMA president. It has also been pretty fun to hear and see Mike in the media. I think he’s doing a wonderful job, and I’m so happy he has been able to have this experience.

Dr Sarah Page with husband, Dr Michael Page.

Why did you join the AMA (WA) Council?

Joining the Council seemed like a natural progression from being involved in the AMA as a junior doctor. I had been on the Doctors in Training Committee as a junior doctor. Having had a break after our two children and doing specialty exams, I felt it was the right time to become involved again. The Council has been a wonderful opportunity; the discussion is broad and interesting.

It takes me out of my day-to-day job and gives me a bigger perspective of our profession as a whole. There’s so much that can be learnt from others by being part of the AMA. I really like the collegiality. Besides, it’s also a time I get to see my husband – as you can imagine, it’s hard to see Mike at home these days!

Why did you choose your specialty?

It wasn’t a hard choice – it is really a wonderful job. I think the reason I was first drawn to dermatology was because I’m a very visual person. Dermatology is like art in a way; the subtleties of colour are very important – no two reds or pinks are the same! I liked that the skin is always available to see and examine. Minimal investigations are required to diagnose conditions, except for biopsies. The number of skin conditions is the largest number of conditions of any specialty, and that was a real challenge during exams! There is never a dull moment. I see all ages, do lots of procedures, laser and consult. I feel so lucky to work in my specialty.

What would you tell a young doctor looking to specialise in dermatology?

I’d say go for it. I remember talking with a registrar when I was a medical student, and he encouraged me to do dermatology. At that stage I hadn’t really had much exposure to dermatology – but the more I did, the more I enjoyed it. The most important thing is exposing yourself to the specialty and seeing if it is a good fit. From a practical point of view, you have to work really hard to get on the program and through the training – but the job at the end is worth the wait.

What’s the first issue you would tackle if you were WA Minister for Health?

The key issue that needs to be tackled is more sun safety awareness in schools. I think the campaigns of slip, slop, slap, seek and slide have been good in the past, but they haven’t been promoted as much in recent years and our children are not so aware of this message. I did a talk for my son’s class about sun protection in the summer months. I was surprised to find a large proportion of children were not wearing sunscreen. The education system is not equipped or mandated to apply sunscreen to children, even though most classes do have it in their classrooms.

Most younger children will not be able to effectively put it on themselves – and even if you diligently apply sunscreen when they leave in the morning, it’s almost all gone by lunch. Action needs to be taken, otherwise we will continue to see our children suffering with skin cancer in years to come. We need important changes in the classroom to protect children from the sun.

Enjoying the outdoors: Dr Sarah Page with husband Michael and sons, Monty and Leo.

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

We have two young boys – Leo (8) and Monty (5). I spend most of my time at home with them. Mike and I go to sporting fields a lot at the moment, as our boys love sport. We do swimming, cricket, football, hockey and more, which has been a lot of fun. I’ve been doing Pilates for more than nine years as it keeps me fit. I also walk our sausage dog, Otto. I like travelling as much as I can, when time allows. I speak French, so I try and get to French classes when I can. I’m now trying to learn Italian on Duolingo.

What’s your ideal holiday destination?

My ideal holiday destination is Italy. We went there a couple of years ago, and since that time we’ve become obsessed with Italian culture. You’ll find us at the Re Store almost every weekend. I hope we can get back to Italy again soon, particularly Venice, as it’s so romantic.

What’s the one life lesson you will always remember?

“Nothing worth having is easy to get” – this is what my mother once said to me in the middle of my fellowship exams. This has always stuck with me, because medicine is like that.
You will have really hard times and tough times in medicine, and in life in general. The key is having the persistence and resilience to help cope with the ups and downs.