Dr Claire Arundell will be the next rural doctor to don the big Akubra of ACRRM president.
Norfolk Island-based rural generalist Dr Claire Arundell has been named incoming president of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, just days after the college hit another milestone in the RG subspecialty journey.
Earlier this week, the Medical Board of Australia accredited ACRRM’s training pathway for rural generalism, the upshot of which is that – at some point over the next few months – ACRRM fellows will become officially recognised GP subspecialists.
It’s very possible that Dr Arundell will be the first ACRRM president in the college’s 30-year history to be able to add the words ‘rural generalist’ to her registration.
“Hats off to everyone at ACRRM and also at RACGP for all the work that they’ve put towards RG recognition,” she told The Medical Republic.
“It’s been in the works for a long time. I think … the big next step for ACRRM will be supporting our members through the process of how subspecialty recognition will be added to their registration, and how this will occur.
“… That will then build towards [the work] around unifying recognition and remuneration. I’m really looking forward to being a part of that and working with AHPRA, the government, and other advocacy organisations towards all of this.”
While the RG anaesthetist grew up in regional Victoria, she has called Norfolk Island home for the last 18 months.
She currently locums in communities which need relief for their doctors and provides online telehealth support to remote clinics.
“I grew up on a farm in country Victoria, so rural life and rural communities have been a part of me since, well, since the start,” Dr Arundell said.
“I’ve always lived in rural and remote communities throughout my training. Growing up in the country meant that I had a lived experience of understanding the difficulties of access to healthcare and how your postcode can determine your access.
“I was drawn to medicine, and when I was in my junior doctor years I came across ACRRM and thought that the idea of being able to do so much and have a varied career was one for me.
“I’m not a person that can just be hospital-based or clinic-based or externally-based. I need a bit of everything to keep me happy, and rural generalism was definitely the answer for that.”
Dr Arundell will formally commence her term as president following ACRRM’s AGM in October.
She will serve a two-year term, succeeding Armidale rural generalist Dr Rod Martin.
