Dr Marc Dantoc

How did your rural pathway commence?

My journey into rural generalism began as, what I now look back on gladly, a default option. My medical career began in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as a uniformed Medical Officer (MO) in the Royal Australian Navy.

The operating environment that an ADF MO is exposed to is certainly more remote than rural. You can be deployed in a variety of settings, from armed conflict in Afghanistan to being the MO aboard a Navy Destroyer called to provide aid to a stricken yacht at sea. My early years certainly tested my skills and knowledge to provide high quality care for our ADF members, from primary health to emergent critical care. Without even realising it, my ADF service had introduced me to thinking like a rural generalist. At the time, the standard career pathway of an ADF MO was general practice, occupational medicine, medical administration or a combination of the three. Being unsure, I took my time in deciding which path to take. In the end, the Navy thankfully provided the opportunity for none of these and hence I began a hybrid specialist surgical and rural generalist training pathway.

What aspect of your personality suits being a rural generalist with your advanced skills?

My own life experiences led me to think that medicine and all its subspecialties are not only marked by differences in knowledge, experience, and skills but the differences in mindset, thought processes (how you think) and perspective in how we treat our patients. By virtue of the operating environment, the personality of a rural generalist requires great flexibility, resilience, objectivity, innovation, and lateral thinking. A rural generalist must be comfortable with the limitations of their care and not to 'take the work home' when faced with a challenging day. The next day may be just as challenging, and you must still perform.

What are the hours like working as a rural generalist?

Working hours greatly depend on where you are working, and if you are one of a few rural generalists in the hospital or clinic, you can easily be working unhealthy hours (>80 hours per week). Evidence shows us that this is not sustainable, and a healthy work-life balance equates to a high standard of medical care for our patients. I used to easily work from 60 to 100 hours per work on a combination of clinics, surgical lists and emergency on-call. I find that the ideas of work-life balance and self-care are now being embraced and so my working hours now range from 40 to 55 hours per week on average.

What is unique about the region you work in?

Currently, I am still in the ADF and can be called upon to deploy when required and hence my 'region' can be an aircraft carrier with two operating theatres, an army field hospital providing resuscitation or on a C17 Globemaster involved in a retrieval. My 'home', however, is the South West, Kimberley and Kalgoorlie. Each region is unique in its environment, people, and resources. From the great forests in the South West inland to the beautiful landscapes in Kalgoorlie to the sunsets in Broome, each are very special in their own way.

What does a rural generalist eat for lunch?

Well, when I do find time, it's either what’s in the tearoom from a birthday that occurred two days ago or a just piece of fruit to reduce the guilt of eating a slice of cake.

Photo: Dr Marc Dantoc on a regular workday with the Royal Australian Navy.