Careers in Indigenous Health
Doctors who choose a career in Indigenous health have the opportunity to make a difference in one of Australia’s most pressing public health concerns, closing the gap between health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.
Sadly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities health outcomes are much poorer than in other communities across Australia. It is common to see younger Indigenous patients presenting with disease patterns that you wouldn’t see in a non-indigenous person until much later in life.
Choosing Indigenous Health as Your Speciality
Many doctors who choose this path and focus on a medical career in Indigenous health will tell you that it is incredibly rewarding. Junior doctors are highly encouraged to consider working in Indigenous health, as it can be a varied, widely interesting and very rewarding pathway. And unlike other specialties, career prospects in the Indigenous healthcare specialty are plentiful compared to other areas where the job market can be tight.
There are several ways that doctors who choose this career path can work specifically with Indigenous people, including locum work, fly-in / fly-out placements, living in a community, working in an urban ACCHS, or conducting public health research.
Building Trust in Community
Regardless of the method of healthcare, the key to success in this specialty is establishing a trusting relationship with patients. The importance of developing trust in Indigenous health means that the doctor must be a good listener who takes a non-judgemental approach with their patients, has good interpersonal skills and is flexible and adjusts to the situation presented before them.
Doctors who choose to work in an ACCHS role are actually employed by the community. This means they need to be completely comfortable working in a team and making collaborative health decisions. This role would be suited to doctors with an interest in learning different and varied ways of working, who have respect for a wide range of people and for those who have resilience, strength when faced with challenges and care for Aboriginal communities.
As part of these roles doctors become very involved in their communities, often attending weddings, birthdays, funerals and alike. You are accepted as a very valued part of the community, and most say it is a huge honour to be in that position.
The Skills Needed in Indigenous Health Roles
Working in Aboriginal communities, particularly in rural and remote areas, allows doctors to use their procedural and emergency skills. Impeccable clinical skills are also needed, especially in relation to dealing with infectious and chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, endocrine and renal disease. Doctors should be prepared for a very third-world picture of health.
It is common to see infections in children and chronic diseases as they get older. The experience that these doctors acquire on a day to day basis working in these communities is often far greater than most would get in a general practice situation in their entire career. In addition to this, clinical doctors who specialise in Indigenous health are in a great position to pursue research and policy interests.
The Importance of Indigenous Health
Working in the Indigenous Health sector gives clinicians an insight into the impact that the health system failures have on these communities and the health outcomes that are the result. It can be an eye opening experience to the improvements needed in these areas, such as the training of health practitioners.
Indigenous health should be relevant and noted by all doctors, not just those working in this specialty. It is likely there are Indigenous people attending most doctors clinics across the country, so identifying these people and assisting them to improve their health is a key factor.
Increasing Your Knowledge on Indigenous Health
General practice registrars with an interest in Indigenous health can undertake an Indigenous health training placement. Several specialist colleges, including the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, offer training opportunities in Aboriginal medical services.
For doctors and other health workers, various regional training organisations offer education and training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation website (www.naccho.org. au) provides a list of training organisations for doctors to research if interested.
The RAHC offers online training modules for doctors interested in remote and Indigenous health (see www.rahc.com.au). The RACGP has also recently launched an online cultural awareness training program, available at www.gplearning.com.au.
If you are interested in Indigenous health placements, ask the team at Jon & Jon Medical for details where to start on this career path.