Rural Doctors Foundation

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Dr Margaret Kay, AM

Medical Director | Brisbane

About Margaret

Margaret Kay is an experienced general practitioner and Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She has been a strong national voice supporting the health of doctors for many decades. In 2013, she completed her PhD which focused on how doctors access health care for themselves.

Margaret continues to hold an academic title as Senior Lecturer with The University of Queensland. Her peer-reviewed publications centred on doctors’ health have made a significant international contribution to the field. She has extensive experience in medical education especially focused on physician health.

Margaret has held a number of leadership roles in doctors’ health. She was the inaugural Medical Director with Doctors’ Health in Queensland and continues to provide expertise to doctors’ health organisations across Australia, including the national Doctors’ Health Alliance. 

“I am passionate about enabling rural and remote health practitioners, including rural doctors, to have better access to general practice care.”

- Dr Margaret Kay, AM

Margaret's Journey

In 2022, Margaret was awarded an Order of Australia for significant service to medicine, to medical education, and to migrant health.

Margaret has a strong personal commitment to supporting rural doctors. She has delivered education at many rural conferences and through the ACRRM training program. She is excited to be Medical Director for the GP4RuralDocs program with the aim of enabling rural and remote health practitioners, including rural doctors, to have better access to general practice care.

Margaret’s interest in doctors’ health goes back to her father, a general practitioner who worked in a small town as the only hospital doctor for some years. For Margaret, stories about navigating the complexities of family health issues while being a rural doctor, and the delight when immersed in local rural community events were intermingled with the emergent narratives of her childhood.

Margaret's Qualifications

Awards, Honours, and Accolades

MBBS (Honours)

University of Queensland 

PhD in Physician Health 

University of Queensland 

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine 

University of Queensland 

Fellow

 

Royal Australian College of GPs

Dip RACOG

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

GAICD 

Australian Institute of Company Directors 

Medal of Australia 

Governor General of Australia 

Community and Family

Outside of her work, Margaret has always enjoyed art, music and drama, possessing an appreciation for the creativity of humans and an understanding of the importance of a spiritual life.

Margaret has been gifted with a wonderful family that includes her husband, two sons, and, more recently, their partners and grandchildren.

When she can, Margaret loves bushwalking.