Darwin based General Practitioner Dr Tanya Davies had previously worked as a locum in remote and rural communities around Australia. But after three years in the city, Dr Davies decided to give RAHC a call and get back to the bush.
During her RAHC placement Dr Davies worked in remote clinics around Katherine in the Northern Territory, providing support to the hard-working permanent health workforce in remote Northern Territory communities.
“It was really good,” Dr Davies said. “I went to a community I had worked in before and RAHC just facilitated the whole thing and made it really easy.”
Dr Davies says she has always been interested in working with communities that don’t have a lot of access to healthcare.
“That's why I did medicine and I always imagined that I would go overseas and work in international aid,” she said. “Some friends were working in Indigenous health and I did a locum at Galiwinku and I loved it. I did a couple more locums and just got hooked by the community, the people, by the experience, by what I could contribute and by the team work. I got hooked very quickly.”
Throughout her placement, Dr Davies used her skills in general medicine to treat all manner of conditions.
“Whether it’s chronic disease or acute care, women's health, men's health or children’s health; you get to do everything at once,” she said. “I had a great team, with lots of people working together so I certainly didn't feel alone, that's for sure.
According to Dr Davies, remote clinics can offer more support than in city centres. “In remote clinics, as long as you can pick up the phone, there is always lots and lots of support around, including emergency and paediatric specialists,” she said.
“The Aboriginal Health Workers are amazing. They are trained in such a wide range of subjects, and they see all the patients. They also provide translation as well as cultural explanations - they're the person you go to when you are not sure how to handle a situation.
“The Aboriginal Health Workers will also tell you who is the correct relative to speak to about a certain situation, who to get advice from, and the best way to deal with a particular situation sensitively. They are an amazing resource.”
Dr Davies says she would love to undertake another RAHC placement in the future and encourages other health professionals to get involved.
“Just do it. There is no day like today,” she said. “I think it is something that once you have done it, you get hooked.
Would you like to share your RAHC experience with other Health Professionals? We are always looking for RAHC Health Professionals to tell us about their experience, by preparing a RAHC story. If you are willing to share your story, please contact your Placement Consultant or email us.