2020: One foot in front of the other

The turning of a new year is always a funny time. The sun rises and sets just as profoundly on every other day, and yet, something about this particular day causes us to stop and naval gaze a little more deeply than usual. My 2019 has been a bit of a mixed bag. My health … Continue reading →

A Delightful Encounter between the Arts and Medicine

Although firmly grounded in science, there is no doubt that the day-to-day practice of medicine involves a fair amount of art. However, in the somewhat sterile world of the doctor’s consulting room, it is rare privilege to encounter “the arts” of the more creative, rather than clinical kind. I encountered such a moment this morning while conducting a … Continue reading →

Broome Time

There are some times as a locum when I have to pinch myself and think “Really? Am I actually getting paid to be here? Wow, what a life!” Spending three weeks in Broome for my latest work trip was one of those times. With a population of around 16 000, Broome is the biggest and best known … Continue reading →

The Accidental Writer

On a hot day in February last year, I was sitting in my lounge room having a chinwag and a cuppa with a good friend of mine. I was confessing my anxiety about leaving my familiar life behind to become a nomadic rural locum. At some point in the conversation I said “Hey, I’m thinking about … Continue reading →

The One Year Locumversary!

I can hardly believe that it’s been a whole year since I first embarked upon the nomadic life of a locum. In the last twelve months I’ve worked in 9 different towns spread across 3 different states; north, south, hot, cold, coastal, inland, big and small. I’ve worked in GP practices, birth suites, emergency departments, aeroplanes, … Continue reading →

Old Friends and Fine Wine

The locum life is great for many reasons. I get to travel to lots of different places, discover beautiful parts of the country and have unforgettable adventures. One of the downsides is that I’m usually on my own and being a solo traveller does come with its own challenges. A magical moment is never quite … Continue reading →

Northern Exposure – the Kimberley Adventure Begins

First, let me say this: If you ever get a chance to travel to the Kimberley … do it! Having just spent 3 weeks in Kununurra in the East Kimberley, I can certainly attest to the stunning physical attributes of the region. Rugged rock formations overlook the town providing great walking trails as well as vantage … Continue reading →

Breaking out of the Comfort Zone

Yesterday I ran 12km in the HBF Run for a Reason along with 29,000 other people to help raise over $1.2 million for local health-related charities. It’s the third time that I’ve participated in a 12km event, having done the Perth City to Surf twice before, but this time I managed to complete the course … Continue reading →

A taste of generalism in the Great Southern

After a rather indulgent 6 weeks off, I’m now half way through a 4 week locum stint in Albany, about 4 1/2 hours drive from Perth, right down on WA’s south coast. Albany has a population of a bit over 30 000 and was originally settled for its deep water port before later becoming a … Continue reading →

Therapeutic benefits of snowsports

My first experience of snowsports was on a family ski trip to Europe when I was about 13 years old. After a long absence I was lucky enough to rediscover the joy on a snowboarding trip to Japan in 2009 and have been hooked ever since. Despite my home town of Perth being a long … Continue reading →