The expat’s arrival checklist

I love a good checklist. I love the sense of order that comes with writing the list, and the feeling of achievement of ticking all those little boxes. Sometimes, I even list things that I’ve already done, just to feel the rush of ticking them off immediately. Since arriving in Canada, I’ve been diligently ticking … Continue reading →

Hello-bonjour, Canada!

It’s my own fault, really. I did say that I wanted a challenge. My Canadian adventure certainly began that way with a missed connection and re-route via Calgary; A four-flight 32 hour journey of epic proportions. To top it off, my luggage was lost in transit. I had arrived in my new country with just … Continue reading →

Farewell, Broome.

Dear Broome, It would feel unfinished, I think, to move on to one adventure without properly farewelling the last. And yeah yeah, I know…. My departure has had as many comebacks as a John Farnham farewell tour. But this time I’ve really gone for good. I remember when we first met. I was absolutely blown … Continue reading →

If you could go anywhere….?

Where would you go? If you could go anywhere, live anywhere, work anywhere, where would it be? Imagine you had no family obligations, no partner to consider, no more exams or training hoops to jump through. Just yourself and a suitcase…. where would you choose? After finishing my rural bonded time, I found myself able … Continue reading →

We GPDU’d. Did you?

GPs Down Under, as an entity, is kind of a hard thing to describe. In it’s most basic form it’s a Facebook group of over five thousand Aussie and Kiwi GPs. Depending on the day, and who you talk to, it’s also a national park, a family, a support group, an educational resource, an advocacy … Continue reading →

#badEMfest18: So BAD it’s good.

It’s been quite a while since a conference blew my mind, and having been to four SMACC conferences, I’ve seen the best of the best. But with #badEMfest18, the team from Brave African Discussions in Emergency Medicine has pulled off a conference so insanely good, it has set a new bar for conferences everywhere. But what, … Continue reading →

Why Men in Maternity Matter.

In Australia, as in many other parts of the world, male doctors are becoming a threatened species in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. Women now make up the overwhelming majority of trainees – roughly 80% across the country – and the numbers are increasing.  Our very own RANZCOG president, Dr Steve Robson, is a … Continue reading →

All that “GP stuff” in the Emergency Department

“We are just FULL of GP stuff today. We’re pretty much just running a GP clinic” you say, with a big sigh and roll of the eyes. You’re an emergency nurse or maybe a doctor. You’re frustrated because you are working your butt off, haven’t had a lunch break or time for a wee and still people … Continue reading →

A Mother’s Day Tribute to Everyone

Today is Mother’s Day; the day in which we pay tribute to our beloved mothers as a sign of appreciation for gestating us, pushing us our into the world through their nether-regions, then keeping us alive through the vomit soaked days our vulnerable babyhood, through the tantrums of our toddler years, the tribulations of schooling, … Continue reading →

FREEDOM!

Half a lifetime ago, I signed up to a contract that would affect every major life decision in ways that I could barely begin to imagine. I’ve now fulfilled my side of the bargain and for the first time in my life, feel a complete sense of freedom. This blog started as I began my return … Continue reading →