Dr Sam Goodwin

2014 Early Career Recipient. College of Medicine and Dentistry

Dr Samuel Goodwin graduated from James Cook University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and is Deputy Director of Medical and Clinical Services with the Central Australian Health Service in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. As well as holding several rural medical leadership roles nationally, during his career Dr Goodwin has been personally credited with turning around health and medical services at the Tennant Creek Hospital. As a result of his leadership, Tennant Creek is now an accredited training site with a well-trained stable medical workforce.

Dr Goodwin exemplifies the best of what JCU is trying to achieve in making a difference in health and medical care in remote northern Australia.

After graduating from James Cook University, Dr Goodwin undertook further training entirely in remote areas of the Northern Territory. After spending the last two years of medical school at the Northern Territory Clinical School in Darwin, the rural generalist decided the NT was the place to be.

Dr Goodwin credits his time in Central Australia with providing him with the skills and adventurous experience he hoped for in his first year out of university.

His career in Central Australia, has involved training at Alice Springs Hospital, providing outreach services as a District Medical Officer and with the RFDS, working on Groote Eylandt and most recently at Tennant Creek Hospital as Medical Superintendent.

Sam has served as a member of the Board of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and is currently a Director on the Board of General Practice Education and Training Ltd (GPET).

The Chief Executive of NT Health, Dr Len Notaras, has publicly spoken with high praise for what Dr Goodwin has done for the Northern Territory.

Born in Townsville and schooled Charters Towers, Dr Goodwin commenced his MBBS in 2001, winning the North Dakota rural prize in his second year.

He is a Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and has just completed requirements to graduate with a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at JCU.