Testimonial: Nicolette
The day I decided to do General Practice was after a performance appraisal with one of the Head Consultants in Darwin Emergency. She was asking me what I wanted to do and I mentioned a few options, including General Practice. She them proceeded to tell me that it would be a waste of my talent to do General Practice and that someone with my skills should do a "proper specialty" like Emergency. Typical arrogant specialists! It was then that I decided to become a GP.
I first starting working as a GP in WA in 2006. I had been doing my registrar training in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory and had a strong desire to explore the Kimberley's in Northern WA. Using GP training as my ticket, I decided to take a 6 month "break" in the remote Aboriginal community of Balgo (a great way to see some beautifiul country and complete my subsequent term!). 4 years later I am still working here.
My favourite part of remote GP in WA is the variety and constant challenges. I love having to think laterally on how I can manage a problem in the community and you'd be amazed at what procedures you can perform after watching a utube demonstration. Most of all I love that my days are over way too quickly. Without an exception it is 5pm before I know it and I am always wishing I had more time left in the day. The thing I find most challenging is being able to say no. Being the only regular GP in the area, I am on call most of the time and I feel a responsibility to always be available and to be the patients' advocate.
General Practice is incredibly rewarding. People share with you the most personal things and it is a real privilege. It is one of the few jobs in medicine where you have time to make clinical decisions and you get to see the result of your intervention. I think the beauty of WA is the diversity of jobs it offers, from remote Aboriginal communities, to mining towns to mainstream GP. My advice to anyone considering doing GP in WA, would be to pick a place that sounds interesting and go work there for a few weeks.
