There’s a new doctor in Ballan and her name is Umbreen Qazi. The GP registrar, in her fourth week on the job, spoke to Esther Lauaki about how she’s finding her new role.
What’s your connection to Moorabool?
I was born in Pakistan but moved to Melbourne in 2011 to do my studies … I did all my training to be a doctor here in Australia. I’m very new to Moorabool. After my studies I was based in Bendigo, training for a year, and then I worked in Melbourne in palliative care before starting my GP training here in Ballan.
Why did you choose to become a registrar at Ballan hospital?
I chose to work in Ballan because it’s close to Melbourne, but it’s still a rural community. Ballan District Health hospital is also well connected and works closely with a number of specialist services and other hospitals around Victoria.
What does your role involve as a GP registrar?
I do exactly what any regular GP does – the only difference is that I’m in training and I have superiors I work alongside. I see patients, manage their conditions and organise tests.
What made you want to specialise in aged care?
My interests are in aged care, palliative care and women’s health and I’ve always preferred regional work. We’ve got an ageing population and they have very complex conditions. When you work in aged care as a general practitioner, a lot of the time you’ve known a patient for most of their life, and that’s very rewarding as a doctor.
What’s been the most challenging part of your role so far?
Getting used to a small regional hospital has definitely been the most challenging part for me. I used to work at a big city hospital where everything is right there for you. Here in the regional areas we have limited resources so you have to rely on your skills and your knowledge and be able to refer people if needed.
What do you like about working in Moorabool?
I like the community and the people are very friendly. There are a lot of people I can help.
