Award just what doctor ordered

By CPL Simone Liebelt

Healthy result ... GP Registrar of the Year award winner FLTLT Tanya Casey, of Canberra Area Medical Unit, Russell.

Photo by CPL Simone Liebelt

FLIGHT Lieutenant Tanya Casey has become the first ADF doctor to receive the General Practice Registrar of the Year award.

The annual award from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) recognises the outstanding work of trainee GPs – known as registrars – in their role as future leaders in community health.

FLTLT Casey was selected from more than 1500 GP registrars after being nominated by her supervisor at the Canberra Area Medical Unit, Russell.

With only six months left of her three-year GP training, she said she was surprised but honoured to receive the award, which comes in the form of a trophy and education scholarship.

“I’d heard whispers that I’d been nominated, but I was shocked when I got the call to tell me I’d won,” FLTLT Casey said. “I felt kind of silly for getting an award for just doing my job, but it’s really nice to be recognised and I feel honoured to be the first ADF person selected.”

She was commended for her work with Air Force personnel, the people of East Timor and the Aboriginal community in providing basic health care.

During a six-month deployment to East Timor, FLTLT Casey assisted in the donation of medical equipment to the Dili hospital, and once a week she attends a local Aboriginal health clinic as part of her training.

“Because you work in the ADF, you obviously miss out on seeing children and the elderly, so I also need to work in a civilian general practice,” she said. “I’m lucky enough to be working at an Aboriginal medical centre this year, which is something I really enjoy as it is an honour to be able to get to know the Aboriginal community in Canberra.”

FLTLT Casey looks forward to a long rewarding career in general practice and hopes to continue her work in indigenous health.

“I just love being able to be a part of people’s lives, to help them through whatever they’re going through at the time. I’m just lucky that Defence recognises the importance of doing training and I think this award really shows that being in the ADF is not a detriment to furthering a medical career.”

 

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