AMA Victoria - Vicdoc August/September 2019

An emerging pattern in recent years has seen some doctors looking to explore alternate and non-traditional careers both within and outside of clinical medicine. In this Career Conversation series, we are profiling a range of doctors who have transitioned to non- traditional paths – either instead of, or in parallel with a traditional clinical path. These stories can help other doctors understand that medicine can present diverse, often untapped career options. Career conversation 24 | Vicdoc August / September 2019 How would you summarise your career path in medicine? Interesting and varied. I trained at the Alfred Hospital and spent over 10 years in the hospital system searching for the ‘right’ specialty for me. Anaesthetics, internal medicine and rehabilitation were all specialities that I explored. I eventually settled on dermatology where I enjoyed the mix of surgical procedures and diagnostic challenges. After successfully completing the first dermatology program exams and awaiting a training position I spent several years working in my father’s general practice. It is there I started to see health-related problems, outside of those of my patients, that I wanted to solve and decided to abandon my aspirations to be a dermatologist. My first business venture tackled the torn old Women’s Weekly magazines filled with health-related misinformation sitting in the waiting room. I saw an opportunity to provide up-to-date medically sound health information to a captive audience of patients while they were waiting to see their GP. Together, with another GP and a journalist, we created Dr Know , a patient information magazine funded by advertisers and distributed through waiting rooms. A few years later I started a business with my wife, Unified Healthcare Group (UHG), and was forced to quickly learn how to run a business. UHG solves problems for organisations including insurers, corporates and government agencies who require health information and services. Initially I was the doctor, salesman and operations manager, but it soon grew enough for me to hire people to help and I have been active as CEO or executive chair ever since. Why did you choose to study medicine? I never felt I chose medicine as I never considered anything else. My father is a doctor and as a child I was in awe of him and his unrelenting desire to help his patients. The love and respect that his patients had for him left an indelible impression on me. He was the true incarnation of an old-fashioned GP, seeing patients in his solo practice in Prahran, doing anaesthetics and regularly rushing out at night and on weekends to do house calls and deliver babies. At 84 years old he is still seeing patients and he is still an inspiration. What have been the main influences on your career pathway choices? It was December 1996 while I was doing some shifts at my father’s practice, a young guy asked me to clear him to ensure he was fit to work as a dealer at the new Crown complex that was opening in April 1997. I was not sure exactly what to do and made a call to the human resources manager who clarified it for me but also shared the administrative burden these pre- employment assessments caused for her, as she attempted to recruit about 2000 new people who each had different doctors. I understood her problem and recognised an opportunity to help. I proposed a solution (which I had no idea how I would deliver) which would see all the pre-employment medicals managed at my father’s medical clinic with a simple consistent process. Crown bought this solution and UHG was born. Dr Brandon Carp: Healthcare solutions entrepreneur What would you change or do differently if you had the opportunity? I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved practicing clinical medicine for 20 years and helping my patients. I have also enjoyed building UHG and creating innovative tech-led health solutions for organisations. Do you foresee any further changes in career paths in your future? I don’t feel that my career path has really had ‘changes’ but what I would better describe as ‘different trails’. I believe my medical training has helped me identify problems and have the skills and confidence to try to solve them. I would like to utilise the experience I have gained both in business and healthcare to advise and guide organisations and government to improve inefficient systems and deliver better health outcomes for Australians. I was recently a member of a taskforce looking forward to 2040 at the challenges for Australia’s health system which I really enjoyed. I have also recently taken on board roles at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Victorian Clinical Genetics Services. What advice would you offer to other doctors in navigating their career in medicine? No medical career is the same. There is a clear, well-established career path for those who wish to follow it, but there is equally an opportunity to forge your own trail. Don’t be afraid to veer off the traditional path if your heart or gut is leading you there – you can always go back! We would love to hear from you if you have a career story you would like to share. Alternatively, if we can assist you in exploring your career options, please book a free 15-minute career call or a career coaching session via our website amavic.com.au/careers-advice August / September 2019 Vicdoc | 25 Register as an AMA member and receive an ongoing 10% discount . Prushka really understands the debt collection needs of medical practices. Debts collected from as low as $50.00 ... and all you pay is commission on monies recovered - from 11%. 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