Welcoming our new junior doctor

Skyler will join the Ochre Medical Centre St Helens in April, where he will spend 13 weeks exploring rural medicine in a program funded by the Federal Department of Health.
The Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund is a community-based program designed to encourage more doctors to choose a rural general practice career. The program is the first of a number of programs that train, mentor and support doctors as they acquire experience in rural medicine through different stages of their training.

We asked Skyler a few questions about himself:

Where are you from?

Launceston.

Where did you do your medical degree? 

Pre-clinical years in Hobart and then two clinical years on the North West coast.

What made you decide on medicine as a career? 

I wanted a challenging and versatile career, and the opportunity to help people by using the skills I learn along the way. 

What did you do before embarking on a medical pathway?

I started medical school straight out of high school! 

What do you think you will enjoy and gain from your rural placement? 

I hope to cement what I have learned from previous rural placements and pick up as much knowledge and skill as I can about working outside of a tertiary centre. 

What specialties interest you?

Anaesthetics is my primary interest, but I have thoroughly enjoyed emergency medicine and rural/remote general practice placement given the wide scope of practice they both offer, and I would like to keep my options as open as possible.

Have you been to St Helens before?I’ve been to St Helens several times but never overnight. 

What are your impressions of the region where you are going to do your rural placement?

I spent a lot of my school holidays and weekends at the family shack in Bicheno growing up, and I enjoy spending time on the coast. From a medical perspective, though, I don’t have much experience with the area so I look forward to getting a better understanding of the region and the people who live there!

What hobbies and interests do you have outside of your career?

When I’m not at work, I like to catch up with friends, read books, listen to and play music (I hope to turn the drum set from a pipe dream into a reality soon!), play video games and go to the gym. Despite my long hair and regular coastal visits, I don’t surf, but I’m generally up for most things and would love to try it during my stay.