From snow to surf: How this Canadian doctor landed in Bunbury

Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Hugh Mitenko traded the Canadian ski slopes for the South West surf and hasn’t looked back since.

After 10 years of working in emergency care across hospitals, ski slopes and ice hockey rinks, Hugh said his family was ready for a change and chasing a better work-life balance.

They began what they thought would be just a year-long adventure working abroad. Twelve years later they remain in Bunbury, Western Australia.

“Coming to Australia as an emergency physician almost felt like a promotion to a job that I didn’t think existed,” Hugh said.

“The work life is very satisfying and the environment around the South West is magic to any Canadian.

“From the warm weather, beaches, and sunshine to seeing dolphins in the bay – there are many wonderful things to explore away from the hospital.”

The draw of emergency medicine in Bunbury

Bunbury Regional Hospital is the largest country hospital in Western Australia and manages a wide variety of emergency cases from children to adults, heart attacks and strokes, trauma, and toxicology.

“Being an emergency physician in country WA is unlike anywhere else,” Hugh said.

“You work on range of cases and follow patient journeys, in ways that aren’t possible with specialist metropolitan health services.

“The emergency department in Bunbury is a supportive and dynamic environment, and we pride ourselves on having a team that is well positioned to manage each case that presents to the hospital.

“It’s especially heart-warming when patients take the time to send in positive feedback on the care they received from the Bunbury emergency team.”

Father and son team up to save lives

But Hugh is no longer Bunbury’s only Dr Mitenko.

In 2022 his eldest son Max graduated from medical school at the University of Western Australia and with younger brother Ben soon to follow in his footsteps.

Max started his internship year with a 10-week stint with his dad in Bunbury’s emergency department.

This was familiar territory for Max, having worked as a Patient Care Assistant in emergency and intensive care units at Bunbury since graduating from high school.

“An interesting case came in near the end of Max’s rotation – a healthy 58-year-old man had developed chest pain while practicing martial arts,” Hugh said.

“Max recognised the urgency and brought me in to consult on the case.”

The two Mitenkos worked together to diagnose the patient’s blocked coronary artery and give life-saving clot-busting medicine. A few days later, the patient was discharged in good health after he had a stent placed in Bunbury’s Coronary Care Unit.

“It was a great moment working together with my son to provide timely and effective life-saving emergency care,” Hugh said.

Bunbury is a constant adventure

Hugh said life in regional WA has some major advantages compared to metropolitan cities.

“It is such an easy commute between work, home, and leisure,” he said.

“From my home in Bunbury, it takes less than ten minutes to drive to work, five minutes to walk to downtown and five minutes to walk to the beach.”

Outside of work, you may find him in local pubs performing with his sea shanty band the Castaways, or out at various nearby breaks surfing the waves.

“Bunbury has everything from live theatre, movies, sports, shopping centres, specialty shops and good pubs and restaurants.

“All the attractions of Margaret River and the South West are right in our backyard as well.

"There is not much Perth has to offer that Bunbury doesn’t already have. But when we want to see that big sports game, performance, or other big-city attraction, Perth is an easy day trip.”

Leaving home is never easy but Hugh says experiencing a new place and way of doing things can pay off “in unexpected ways”.

“I really didn’t know what to expect leaving the familiarity of the health care system and family and friends in Canada. And I never expected to stay long-term” he said.

“But working in country WA gave me the opportunity to spend more quality time with my closest family on evenings and weekends.

“And with the warm weather and welcoming community here in Bunbury, it really helped us make the decision to stay.”

Why emergency medicine doctors should consider country WA

If you ask Hugh, there are many differences and benefits of working in emergency medicine in country WA.

“In Bunbury, emergency specialists work fewer evening and weekend shifts compared to any emergency department I’ve ever worked in,” he said.

Plus, there are countless opportunities for professional development. Emergency medicine consultants in Western Australia are provided with dedicated non-clinical time.

“This gives us the opportunity to develop our own interests and take on leadership roles within the emergency department or the hospital more broadly,” Hugh said.

“Some of our non-clinical portfolios include trauma, toxicology, disaster medicine, medical education, planning the hospital’s upcoming expansion or in my case, research and pandemic medical coordination for the hospital.

“The process of relocating from Canada to work in emergency medicine in Western Australia took time and dedication.

But once we’d taken those first few steps here, we found a warm and welcoming community, and we’ve been able to carve out a life here that we never would have imagined to be possible.”

If you’re a medical professional ready to make country WA your next adventure, contact the recruitment team at WACHSDoctors.Senior@health.wa.gov.au.