Esperance doctor living her dream in country WA

Meet Dr Annette Hackett - she works with us at Esperance Health Campus as a Senior Medical Practitioner (SMP).

Growing up Western Australia, Annette dreamed of being a nurse and travelling around the countryside to help sick people.

When she was a teenager, a neighbour helped her realise her career aspirations to study medicine and she hasn’t looked back since – working internationally and in some of Australia’s most rural locations as a rural generalist.

Qualities of a rural generalist

Anette believes one of the traits of a strong rural generalist is self-motivation and determination.

“When I graduated university there wasn't a focus on rural medicine, and there were very few rural jobs as a resident or intern,” Annette said.

“There was no rural clinical school.

“There was no rural generalist pathway after graduation either. You really had to forge your own pathway.

“After completing my intern year at Royal Peth Hospital, then my foundational resident years in Kalgoorlie & the United Kingdom, I returned to Kalgoorlie and pursued my General Practitioner (GP) fellowship”.

In the years since, Annette has worked across Australia in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and even the Australian Antarctic Base - greatly broadening her medical skill set on the way.

“Across my career I’ve been able to upskill in retrieval medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, intensive care, anaesthetics and emergency medicine.

“An individual working in the country needs to be motivated to maintain their clinical skills,” Annette said.

After completing her Fellowship Annette achieved her childhood dream by working for the Royal Flying Doctors’ Service – travelling across country WA helping the seriously unwell.

“The work was fantastic. Sometimes I would be working independently and other times with a team of health professionals,” she said.

“That’s also what I enjoy about working at Esperance Health Campus.

The team is small, so we have to have the confidence in our skills to deal with a variety of presentations.”

Living in Esperance and working for WA Country Health Service

In 2021 Annette accepted her current role in Esperance – world famous for its white sandy beaches and aqua coloured waters.

“After living in Queensland for a few years I wanted to relocate to WA to be closer to family.

“The weather in Queensland is extremely hot and I was wanting a sea change.

“In the end I decided that the cooler climate which Esperance provides would be perfect for me.”

Annette describes her role as having the best of both worlds.

“The Senior Medical Practitioner role incorporates emergency medicine and medical administration - I’ve been here for a year now and I’ve learnt so much,” she said.

“In any one shift I might manage emergency presentations that can range from a farming incident, to assisting with the delivery of a baby.

“This role has given me the opportunity to be involved in hospital improvement processes such as development of new forms, protocols for new medications, hospital accreditation and so much more.

“I’ve developed an understanding of why I've done the things I've done for the last 35 years, and I'm finding that really interesting.”

Annette explains how country people have stronger community ties which bring them closer together.

“You get to know the patients so much better, even if you didn’t know that particular person at the start.”

“All I have to do is say one of my family member’s names and everyone goes, oh, I know them and then it's like your family.”

Annette explains what type of support structures which are in place to support doctors working at Esperance.

“We've got amazing nursing staff here who are very supportive.,” she said.

“We also have various telehealth services such as the Emergency Telehealth Service and the Mental Health Telehealth Service.

“Teamwork is what makes the emergency department run smoothly and there is always someone who you can call.”

Laidback country lifestyle

Annette describes Esperance and the Goldfields region as a place where people value work-life balance.

“The GPs in the region value getting out there and living to enjoy their life,” she said.

“I’ve learnt a lot from their approach and importance of maintaining a flexible work schedule, so I can do the things I enjoy.”

Annette encourages anyone who is interested in the working in Esperance to give it a go.

“We can show you the town, the hospital, introduce you to people who have got children the same age and advise you on housing,” she said.

“You can have a look at the beaches, and once you had a look at the beaches, you’ll definitely want to stay.”

To find out more about working with WA Country Health Service contact our Medical Recruitment Team at WACHSDoctors.Senior@health.wa.gov.au or visit our medical vacancies page for current opportunities.