Combining a career as a GP with positions available with the Australian Defence Force present unique opportunities to serve our nation like no other.
Becoming a doctor in Australia is a long and strenuous process, and certainly not for the faint of heart. To pursue a career in medicine, candidates need to finish Year 12 and graduate from a Bachelor’s Degree, which usually takes four years. From there, one then needs to complete a four year postgraduate medical program, before completing a year long internship in order to become fully registered – or almost a decade of study.
After finally receiving their qualification, young doctors are left with another big choice – what to specialise in, if anything? All those years of study can quickly catch up, with many opting to take somewhat of a working holiday. While this can include anything and everything from taking up work as a locum doctor, heading overseas or even starting a fellowship, one of the growing trends seen amongst new GPs is turning their attention towards the medical careers on offer with the Australian Defence Force.
Working As A GP With The Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and several “tri-service” units. As an integral component in keeping Australians safe, it’s not usually considered as the first port of call for a freshly qualified doctor to hone their craft.
However, combining military life and civilian medicine is a path increasingly growing in popularity, particularly amongst young Australians. As a first year GP registrar and newly-uniformed member of the Australian Defence Force, Doug Brown has experienced this first hand. Stationed at the RAAF base in Anberly, Doug studied his medical degree at Bond University, with the ADF sponsoring his studies. He then went on to complete his two year residency at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, while continuing to train with the Royal Australian Air Force. For him, combining his love of medicine with the air force was a no brainer.
“I did both army and air force cadets. I suppose I was following the family tradition, as both my grandfathers were in the military. Joining the air force was a natural choice as my dad and uncle were civil aviation pilots, and my mum was a flight attendant. In the Air Force, I now get to work in a health centre with other GP registrars, nurses, medics, paramedics and physiotherapists. Being in the military together creates a real community feeling. The camaraderie is definitely a highlight of being a GP registrar in the ADF.”
Like Doug, the duality on offer with medical based positions with the Australian Defence Force offers young people a chance to serve their country while still completing a qualification. While no two days are ever quite the same, working as a general practitioner for the ADF includes providing quality clinical care to patients and technical medical advice to Units and Commands, developing and maintaining patient care plans, liasing with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide coordinated patient management, and as well as generalised outpatient and inpatient treatment. Needless to say, this on the ground experience provides an education like no other.
GP Career Opportunities In Queensland
If you’re on the hunt for a doctor or general practitioner role in the Sunshine State, there’s a chance that you’ll either want to work a little, a lot – or somewhere in between. Queensland based opportunities with House Call Doctor offer flexibility, with shifts that fit around your current workload, personal commitments, or even just lifestyle preferences.
Whether you’re looking to increase your earning potential, gain experience, or even just have a desire for greater job satisfaction, opportunities with House Call Doctor offer local medical practitioners a chance to explore what out of hours and locum healthcare is like, while still retaining a sense of freedom and flexibility. If you’re looking for an opportunity to broaden your career horizons, are you –
- An Australian or Internationally Trained Medical Graduate
- Have full registration with the Medical Board of Australia
- Have two years post graduate experience, including experience in paediatrics, accident and emergency, general medicine and surgery
If you can answer yes to all of the above, then why not consider registering your interest for locum general practitioner doctor jobs with House Call Doctor today, and be a part of the medical revolution.
