20 Year Journey

This February marks 20 years since I jumped on a plane to Nanjing, China. During the 5th and final year of my RMIT program, I spent 7 months observing Doctors in a Chinese Hospital. In these affiliated hospitals, the Doctors integrate Western Medical treatments with Acupuncture or Chinese Herbs. I observed many departments during my stay, including Acupuncture, Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Dermatology, Gastroenterology and Gerontology departments.

The doctors in those departments saw a variety of problems - Insomnia, Pain, Post-stroke rehabilitation, Bowel disease, Gut health issues, weight gain, weight loss, Diarrhoea, Constipation, Acne, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Infertility, Menstrual pain and Irregular menstrual cycles, just to name a few.

It was pivotal for me to see Western medicine and Chinese Medicine integrated in a way that put the patient first and asked the question - what would most benefit this patient? This is a value that I have carried with me through my career. There is so much to gain by using Allied Health along side your GP and specialists. We all have something of value to bring to your healthcare.

What I’ve learnt from all the years in this industry is that health is a journey that we are on every day. Health is something that we just should never take for granted.