When UK doctors and partners Niamh Hynes and Matthew Folks decided they wanted a new challenge, they traded London hospitals for the vast landscapes of regional NSW.
Today, they are among five new Retrieval Doctors and four Flight Nurses to complete an intensive induction program with the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section (RFDSSE), preparing them to deliver critical care across some of Australia's most remote communities.
The new cohort also includes doctors Alice McBride, Tom Nolan and Greg Smith, alongside Flight Nurses Samantha Baddock, Jackie Spigiel, Jacinta O'Leary and Bridie Bourgeat.
A career pathway attracting clinicians from around the world
Their arrival reflects the strong reputation of the RFDSSE's retrieval training program, which continues to attract clinicians from Australia and overseas looking to develop advanced skills in aeromedical and retrieval medicine. Many retrieval doctors first hear about the opportunity through colleagues who have previously worked with the RFDS, with word of mouth remaining one of the service's strongest recruitment tools.
Speaking recently to the Daily Telegraph, Niamh and Matthew described being drawn to the opportunity to experience a different kind of medicine while developing critical decision-making skills in remote environments.
RFDS South Eastern Section Co-Medical Director Emergency and Retrieval Services Dr Peter Brendt said the strong interest from international clinicians reflected the standing of the program within the wider retrieval medicine community.
"We continue to see strong interest in the program from clinicians both within Australia and internationally. The retrieval medicine community is relatively small, and many applicants come to us having spoken with former registrars or colleagues who have worked with the RFDS.
"That strong word of mouth is something we value highly. It reflects the quality of the training experience, the professionalism of our teams and the unique opportunities clinicians have to develop skills in remote and aeromedical medicine."
Preparing for the realities of remote medicine
To prepare them for these realities, the program began with an introduction to the RFDS, buddy flying over the outback, and medical and obstetric simulations. The doctors then joined the Sydney HEMS Trauma Induction Week before returning to Dubbo for intensive, hands-on training in the RFDS operating environment.
Across six days of education and simulation, participants worked alongside experienced Retrieval Doctors, Flight Nurse Educators, flight nurses, NSW Ambulance paramedics and volunteers. Their training covered advanced airway management, snakebite management, scene safety, emergency call management, pilot incapacitation, in-flight emergencies, newborn resuscitation, obstetric emergencies and intensive care transfers.
Dr Brendt said the program is designed to expose clinicians to both the clinical and operational realities of practising medicine in the bush.
"For many doctors, working with the RFDS is an important step in their professional development. They are exposed to clinical situations, operational challenges and decision-making responsibilities that are difficult to replicate anywhere else.
"For many doctors, working with the RFDS is an important step in their professional development. They are exposed to clinical situations, operational challenges and decision-making responsibilities that are difficult to replicate anywhere else.
Farm Day puts skills to the test
One of the most anticipated components of the induction was Farm Day, conducted on a working rural property.
The clinicians were challenged with realistic scenarios including an explosion involving multiple patients, a severe horse-related facial injury, a patient trapped beneath a tractor, drowning emergencies and organophosphate poisoning. Each exercise required participants to balance urgent clinical care with communication, scene management and the practical complexities of retrieving a patient from an isolated location.
The immersive nature of the training mirrors the situations RFDS crews may encounter while responding to patients in remote locations. As Retrieval Doctor Jonathan Storrar told the Daily Telegraph, clinicians in the outback must often undertake multiple interventions while simultaneously deciding where a patient should be taken, how long the journey will take, and how weather and aircraft range could affect the retrieval.
The program concluded with major rescue simulations alongside Dubbo Volunteer Rescue Association members and telehealth training before the team prepared for their first operational deployments, including shifts in Broken Hill.
The induction was made possible by Retrieval Doctors, Flight Nurse Educators, flight nurses, volunteers, NSW Ambulance personnel, rescue teams and support staff who contributed their time and expertise.
With their induction complete, the new doctors and flight nurses now join RFDS teams delivering critical care to people living, working and travelling across regional and remote NSW, while building skills and experience available in few other clinical settings.
