World Family Doctor Day 2015 is a time to recognise and celebrate the amazing contribution GPs make to our daily health and wellbeing.
Meet Doctor Sarah, our much admired and appreciated resident doctor at our headspace centre in the Melbourne suburb of Glenroy, where she supports young people with any physical, mental and emotional concerns they may have.
Here Sarah explains what made her want to be a doctor, and why she likes working with young people so much.
What is your background? Why did you decide to become a doctor?
I grew up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and am descended from English and Scottish people. My ancestors on both sides of my family came to Australia in the 1800s. I wanted to be a doctor since I was about 10 years old. In the 1980s I saw on the news people sick from famine and wanted to help. I decided that by being a doctor I would be able to help solve some of the problems people faced in the world.
I was distracted in my mid-teens by the idea of becoming a Japanese-speaking engineer, and also considered becoming a professional classical musician, but then realised that I would most like to study medicine especially to study mental health. I was fascinated by the mind, psychology and the idea of 'madness'. Fast forward 20 years and I am really enjoying working as a general practitioner doctor in the area of mental health, after many years of study, a few years of working in hospitals, and eight years working in community-controlled Aboriginal Health Services in Victoria and South Australia.
I decided to become a GP because this would allow me to work in many different areas that interest me, such as Aboriginal health, mental health, women's health, reproductive and sexual health, health of LGBTIQ people and young people's health. I completed my training to become a GP in 2007.
What is the best thing about working for headspace Glenroy?
The best things about working for headspace Glenroy are the wonderful, dedicated team of people, the passion and great morale among the staff, and most importantly the opportunity to make a difference to young people who may be going through a tough time.
What is the best thing about working with young people?
Young people inspire me every day. They are going through a time of great change and sometimes great challenges and their determination and resilience is often highly impressive. It is an honour and a pleasure to give young people some support when they need it and then watch them flourish once they have passed through a difficult time. I really enjoy being part of the 'one stop shop' for young people at headspace, providing a range of different healthcare services and being a consistent person in the lives of many young people, able to respond when they ask for help.
I am loving working at headspace Glenroy with young people and I plan to stick around for a very long time!