Trailblazing a new career in a country practice

“I actually heard about the course back in high school when I was trying to decide what I was going to do when I left school.

“At the time it was a post graduate course, but I still thought it was definitely something that would interest me and that I would want to do down the track.”

Fast forward to today and Monique is now qualified Physician Assistant working in a busy and thriving General Practice across Queensland’s Darling Downs.

But it wasn’t a direct path that led her to her current role.  She spent six years working as a paramedic before taking on the challenge of further study, enrolling in the Bachelor of Health Science (Physician Assistant) through JCU.

“I was working in an Indigenous community up on Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and I could see the benefits that the Physician Assistant model would have in a rural area like that with only one doctor who was already overworked,” Monique said.

“I’d already worked as a paramedic for a number of years and was ready to challenge myself, to try something new and take on new clinical skills.

“I didn’t really have any expectations of where it would take me, it was just really an opportunity to learn new skills and gain extra knowledge.”

Monique continued to work full time, while study full time for the duration of the course, and is the first to admit it wasn’t easy.

However, she believes the skills she was learning through the degree were put to good use on the job as a paramedic.

“I loved having the extra knowledge to do more thorough assessments and come with a more accurate provisional diagnosis for my patient. Furthering my skills was definitely beneficial to my work as a paramedic.”

During her studies, Monique did placements with the Downs Rural Medical Centre in Oakey, Kingsthorpe and Toowoomba, which also included work at the Oakey Hospital. On graduation she took up the full time role as the Practice Physician Assistant.

“I was really lucky that I had a fantastic course, really lucky getting some great placements and really lucky to get a job with Downs Rural Medical Service.”

It’s a role she continues to relish.

“Working in general practice every day is completely different.  In the beginning of the course if you’d told me I’d end up working in General Practice I probably would have laughed at you because I had no idea of the variability in general practice and how much I would actually enjoy it.”

Physician Assistant is still a relatively new profession in Australia.  PAs work across a range of clinical settings, including hospitals and general practices.

The role is well established and popular in a number of countries around the world, with more than 115,000 PAs working in the USA alone.  It’s also a popular profession in Canada, Germany, India, the Netherlands and South Africa.

JCU started offering the course in six years ago to graduates of other health degrees, or those with extensive experience in health related fields.

Graduates can be found working as Physician Assistants across a number of private and public hospitals and GP clinics.

As a Physician Assistant within a busy GP practice, Monique’s role is highly varied and includes assisting in operations including vasectomies and excisions, and carrying out minor procedures under supervision.  She also performs health assessments, develops chronic care programs for patients, has been involved in the review of the practice chronic care plan program, and works closely with medical students on placement, providing support, orientation and education.

She also spends days at a nursing home carrying out comprehensive medical assessments and nursing home medical rounds.

Just as she is passionate about her job, Monique is also a passionate supporter of the course that gave her the skills to take on the role.

“When I started I really didn’t know if it was going to eventuate into the job or where I was going to end up, but I’d definitely recommend others doing it.

“By doing the course, whether I ended up being a PA or continued to work as a paramedic my ability to treat a patient was going to be far superior to what it was.

“At the end of the day it came back to whatever sort of patient I was treating in whatever career it was, they were going to get a better a better service from me and I knew I was doing the best thing by the patient.

“I would definitely recommend others doing it.”

More details on JCU’s Physician Assistant program