4 minute read
Introducing: Dr John Buckley, Treating GP
What’s in this article
Here we chat with Treating GP from the GPs4RuralDocs program, Dr John Buckley, about his own story and a 40-year career in medicine.
There’s an infectious positivity that just beams out of people who truly love their job. This is certainly the case for Dr John Buckley, our newest treating GP in the GPs4RuralDocs program.
John has spent over 40 years in the medical industry and he’s as passionate about it today as he was the day he graduated from the University of Queensland in 1983. His career has given him an insight into both worlds – rural and urban practice – having spent time out regionally as well as in the northern suburbs of Brisbane.
Ask John what he loves the most about his job as a doctor and he lists many things, including being a significant part of the lives of so many good people, working with colleagues he admires, the intellectual challenge, the evolution of the role over his career, and having the opportunity to influence and bring change within the industry.
“What’s not to love?” says John, and it’s exactly this sentiment that makes him so good at what he does. Of course, he’s not blind to the challenges of working in rural medicine. He experienced them himself during his time as the only hospital doctor in a small former mining town in rural Queensland.
Witnessing the challenges of rural practice
Despite growing up in the city, John didn’t hesitate to head out rural when the opportunity came up.“My childhood visits to rural areas were very enjoyable and I certainly felt no qualms about leaving Brisbane for Central Queensland when I graduated,” he says. “In fact, I was glad to escape ‘the big city’. The more I experienced regional and rural life, and the people, the more my passion grew.”
He spent two years at a regional Rockhampton hospital before taking on a posting to Mount Morgan, a town that is 600 kilometres from Brisbane with a population of just 2000 people.
“I was the Medical Superintendent, and only doctor, at the hospital in Mount Morgan for two years,” he says. “There was a private GP in town who gave me relief every second weekend. Otherwise, it was 24/7 availability.”
Life, family and a new educator role in GP training eventually drew John back to the city. “But the passion never dwindled,” he says. “My rural experience made me a natural fit to be the educator for rural training so my connection to rural areas and rural healthcare was never broken.”
Insights into doctors’ health and wellbeing
John’s role in GP education went on to span 27 years. He divided his time between practicing as a GP in Albany Creek and educating GPs as Director of Training for various organisations and programs.
Having worked for so long in GP training gives John the unique insight needed for doctor-to-doctor healthcare. He understands the impact that this line of work can have on doctors’ mental and physical health, especially for those working rurally.
“During my time as a GP and educator, I have seen colleagues with burnout and young doctors struggling to find their identity. We know that GPs are often not effective at managing their own healthcare and that the barriers in rural areas are much greater,” he says.
John explains that doctor’s health and self-care were two key areas he focused on in his GP training programs. Having the opportunity to provide a service that keeps doctors happy, healthy and thriving is one of the key reasons why he has joined GPs4RuralDocs as a treating GP.
From Coochiemudlo Island to rural southern Queensland
Since finishing up his role as a GP in Brisbane in 2023 after 29 years in the practice, he’s left the city for the tranquillity of small-town living. He now calls Coochiemudlo Island home. It’s a tiny peaceful island just off the coast from Brisbane, with a population of roughly 750 residents.
It’s from here that he’ll begin the trek to the rural Queensland towns of St George, Goondiwindi and Stanthorpe, to provide the GPs4RuralDocs service that he is so passionate about.
The drive will be a long one for John. It will cover hundreds of kilometres as he makes the rounds through the region, bringing healthcare to the doorstep of doctors who would normally have to leave their communities for days at a time to receive a similar level of care. But it’s a job he loves and no doubt he’ll take his positivity with him.
What is GPs4RuralDocs?
GPs4RuralDocs is a GP service aimed specifically at rural doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners. The goal is to provide Australia’s essential rural health workforce with the same high level of care that they provide their own patients. The service is delivered by a team of doctors who understand rural practice and are trained in doctor-to-doctor care and mental health – Dr John Buckley is the Treating GP for clinics in St George, Goondiwindi and Stanthorpe.
Lauren Furey understands the joys and challenges of living in a rural community and believes that all Australians, regardless of location, deserve access to high-quality health services.
