GP AUSTRALIA

Dr Kate Davey

Local doctor ‘outstanding’A local GP since 1983, Dr Davey has been bestowed a Victorian honor, awarded for her  ‘Outstanding Contribution to Rural Communities’. Nominated by one of her patients, she accepted the award from Victorian Health Minister, Daniel Andrews, in front of 225 guests at a gala dinner in Melbourne. Photo and extract from Local doctor ‘outstanding’, Wangaratta Chronicle 18 May 2000.

I grew up in the city but spent many holidays with family friends on their farms – I believe that this is where my love of rural life began.

The rural career option was reinforced by a rotation from the Royal Melbourne Hospital during winter 1981 when I discovered that I could live and work close to the ski slopes. As chance had it, I met my future husband skiing – he was a grape grower from Oxley, 15 kilometres south

of Wangaratta. My mind was made up – rural medicine was for me.

I commenced work in Wangaratta part-time in 1983, then a locum position became available in Benalla where my rural career really began.

The best part of my work has been the extraordinary variety of medical conditions and presentations that I see every day. When I started, I was keen to maintain my interest in general medicine and resisted becoming a “Women’s Health” expert. I had forgotten to factor in that there were very few female doctors between Melbourne and Albury at that stage and even fewer worked full time, so my actual practice has evolved with a very strong women’s health flavour.

My attitude has softened over the ensuing years, probably influenced by the growth of my own family and the development of a greater understanding of the complexity of women’s health needs.

I have four wonderful children who, along with my partner Ken, have been remarkably tolerant of my medical career. It has been a realisation of a life long dream to have a large family but also to continue to work at my own career.

Many memorable events have occurred thus far in my medical career and I have experienced considerable personal growth from most of these occurrences.

The most important thing to realise is that you are never alone. There is a wealth of support amongst the medical colleagues you will work with and also from the community of which you will, undoubtedly, become a part.

Case study contributed by Rural Workforce Agency Victoria