Medical career framed by compassion

Redcliffe Hospital’s Dr Phillipa Khoo has seen at close quarters how women can make a significant contribution to their community, profession and families.

The Emergency Department consultant has had powerful role models in her mother, older sister and professional mentor, who have shown her how to achieve her personal and professional goals with compassion and confidence.

In the lead-up to International Women's Day, on March 8, we are shining a light on women working on the front line.

Phillipa has a passion for trauma medicine and juggles her time between her hospital consultancy role and Queensland Ambulance Service’s High Acuity Response Unit (HARU).

“Clinically, on the floor, I help to run a (hospital) department, supervise junior staff and work in the resuscitation area when people are particularly unwell and help guide the junior staff,” she explains.

Phillipa also looks at processes and education, and how systems can be improved.

In her QAS role, she is a consulting doctor in the HARU clinical hub.

“It’s like a clinical triage service that sits with the call-takers in the State Operation Centre. Essentially, we try to make sure people are triaged appropriately and getting to the right places,” Phillipa says.

“We also sit side-by-side with the RSQ (Retrieval Services Queensland) Co-ordinators for the state as well. We help to manage the road-based resources for the state.

“As the doctor there, we provide clinical assistance to the paramedics … and I still go on-road with the High Acuity Response Unit about once a month.

“I work two days a week here (at Redcliffe), one day there (at QAS) and have four days at home with the kids (aged 4, 8 and 10 years).”

Phillipa says pursuing a career in medicine seemed natural with her father a doctor, mother a nurse and sister a surgeon.

Born at Bribie Island, she moved to Melbourne to study at university because, at the time, Queensland did not offer undergraduate medicine.

“I went down there at 18 years of age and stayed down there for 15 years. I came back up recently to be a bit closer to family,” she explains.

“Medical training is difficult. A lot of people do it differently to how I did it, but I had my children young. I started when I was a second or third-year-out doctor. I had to do all of my training, all of my exams with kids.

“I have these memories of sitting there with two kids sitting outside my study on the floor just looking at me … just eating their lunch with me, because they knew they couldn’t come in because I was studying. I had a newborn on my lap.”

Phillipa says, looking back, she’s happy with the path she’s taken and the way she’s done it.

“A lot of the young female doctors here come to me and say how would you do it if you had your time again? Would you wait until you’ve finished training to have kids or would you have them again?

“That’s not an easy answer. So many times, you’re told put your career first or put your family first and it’s not a simple decision. It’s not simple either way.”

Making a difference

Phillipa loves her roles with Redcliffe Hospital and QAS and says providing excellent early care can have a big impact on patients.

“I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to be there to hopefully improve someone’s life at a point when they’re very vulnerable. I don’t take that responsibility lightly,” she says.

When asked if there’s been a woman or women who have inspired her professionally and personally, Phillipa says there have been three standouts.

“Obviously, I have to shout out to my mum because she’s phenomenal. She’s a very compassionate, giving lady and she has gone out of her way over many years to make it possible for us (my sister and I) to do it,” she explains.

“She came from a small country town, didn’t finish high school, went over to India to work with Mother Theresa as an 18-year-old and finished her nursing degree to do that …incredible. When we were all little, she stayed home to support us. She’s always flown down to us (my sister and I) and looked after the kids, so we could study.”

She also credits her sister, a surgeon, whom she describes as an ‘absolute powerhouse’.

“She also went off interstate at a very young age to do medicine. She works in a regional centre that didn’t have certain specialties. She specifically went off, down to Melbourne, to get those skills so the community could have them,” Phillipa explains.

“She also has three kids, runs marathons, is a surf lifesaver and just does everything.”

Phillipa has worked with some amazing women too, including Redcliffe Hospital consultant Dr Michelle Dodds.

“When I was a registrar, as a training doctor, she took me under her wing and helped me through my exams. In my first week here, she set me up on her desk with her, opened me up to the portfolios I was doing, mentored me and guided me through that.

“She would not call herself a mentor … she’s just done it because she’s beautiful and helpful and bubbly. She’s also intelligent and emotionally intelligent.”

So, what is her advice to young women pursuing a career in medicine?

“I think always remember why you’re doing it because I think that’s so easy to forget. We’re not here to meet neat targets, we’re not here just to get paid … we’re here because we’re trying to provide care to someone and it matters to them,” Phillipa says.

“I feel privileged that I’m in a position where I get to work in the front line … but (it’s important to) realise the village has brought me here.”