Dr Michael Clements
A journey from the Defence Force to rural medicine
We speak with Dr Michael Clements about the meaning of serving in the Australian Defence Force, and the lessons he learned that he still uses today as a rural doctor.
Dr Michael Clements is a rural doctor who wears many hats – he is a rural GP, a pilot, a Board member, an advocate and he specialises in supporting ex-service personnel and families of serving members.
He has had a fulfilling career in service to others, from his time in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) all the way through to his current commitments as a GP in Townsville, as well as Vice President and Rural Chair of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Board.
To better reflect on the true spirit of what it means to serve, we asked Michael a few questions.
I still find myself drawn to the motto: ‘care where needed’.
What does your service mean to you?
I reflect on my positive experiences of being in the military. I felt valued. I felt I contributed to the community good and the health and welfare of troops in my care. I also reflect on the positive relationships I formed. What will always stick with me is the many stories, nights, events and exercises I shared with my colleagues. I often reflect on the sacrifice many of our colleagues made. The sacrifice of others might have been the ultimate sacrifice, their life. It might have been their mental or physical health, absence from family and missing many birthdays, sporting events and school recitals while they were serving their country. Every single Defence Force member who puts the uniform on signs a contract saying they will do what is asked of them, when it is asked of them. We each had our own journey while doing that.
What values and lessons did you take from the ADF into your work in rural health?
One of the things I enjoyed the most about my ADF time was working with a group of like-minded and highly motivated individuals that wanted to do the best that we could.
The motto of one of the squadrons I was with was ‘care where needed’. This really resonated with me as a worthy mission, to use all the skills and resources we had to deliver healthcare in any part of the world, in any environment.
This aligns the values I see from many of our remote and rural practitioners. It aligns with my commitment to use my skills to develop and support our remote and rural health workforce.
Tell us about your current work in service to others
I still find myself drawn to the motto: ‘care where needed’.
I find myself attracted to roles, tasks, committees and groups where I feel I can contribute meaningfully to health outcomes, whether that be face-to-face with a patient, in a zoom meeting discussing the workforce, or in Parliament House talking to politicians.
For me, this means continuing to work as a private practice owner, building my team to serve my local and remote communities that we run outreach clinics to.
Veteran’s health remains a core part of my clinical work as I help newly discharged veterans navigate the civilian health system and integrate back into a normal life.
I continue to work for Queensland Health with the Rural Generalist Pathway where I try to use my experience and skills to guide and mentor junior doctors through the exploration of their own careers, hopefully guiding them towards where we need them in remote and rural communities.
I serve on the RACGP Board as Vice President and Rural Chair in an effort to ensure at the highest level in the college we continue to advocate for high quality general practice care for all of our communities but in particular on the workforce and community needs of our remote and rural regions.
It has been a while since I have put the uniform on but I do remain a Specialist Reservist with the RAAF and I hope to do some more time in uniform when things settle down.
What does ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day mean to you?
It is an important time to pause and reflect on military service for my patients, my family, for myself, but also for all of those who came before us.
When I think about the original ANZACs and those who served in the Boer War, I know that the sense of purpose and commitment to Australian values was there as I saw it in those I served with, and still see it in our current military and veteran population.
It’s a time where we don’t celebrate the act of war itself, but focus on the individuals who have committed themselves, their time, their bodies, their minds and their families to the service of the Australian people.
Tell us about your work in veteran health
The definition of a ‘veteran’ has changed over the years. It now refers to any person who has experience in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and it does not require a period of overseas or warlike service.
It is a term used to reflect people who have given themselves to join a group of like-minded people, to serve the Australian community and do whatever is asked of them in any part of the world, even if there is danger.
We know that all veterans have been placed at risk of both physical and psychological harm throughout their training and career, regardless of the kind of deployment and experience. This means that they leave their role in Defence with a set of risk factors for physical and mental health diseases that require additional clinical attention.
Australia has emerged from one of the longest conflicts in our history with thousands of veterans who may carry with them memories or scars of their service. It is important we have the right systems in place to ensure they receive appropriate general practice care.
Each veteran comes to you with their own military experience. To be a good general practitioner for my patients, I can bring my own ADF experience into the consult room. I help them navigate their new civilian life and to hopefully reflect on their time in the ADF in a positive manner. I have some understanding of the joys and hardships of military service. Sometimes I look after people now that I deployed with many years ago. For me, the most important part of looking after veterans is to give them a safe place to be themselves. I provide a place to not be stereotyped or judged based on their injuries, mental health, career or deployment experience.
More rural heroes like Michael
Dr Katie Chang
Dr Katie Chang is a rural doctor based in Western Queensland. With her husband, Paul, they made the brave decision to leave the public health system and set up their own private practice in Charleville.
Dr Alex Sleeman
In rural and remote Australia, medical care can be limited, with distance making it difficult for emergency health services to arrive quickly.
Dr Sue Masel
Dr Sue Masel has lived and worked in Goondiwindi in western Queensland for 25 years. She works as a rural GP and is incredibly connected to the town.
