Dr. Mary Wyatt, Occupational and Environmental Medicine consultant

Name: Dr. Mary Wyatt

Career stage: Consultant

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Position: Occupational and Environmental Medicine consultant

Medical Specialty: Occupational and Environmental Medicine

What are some of the things you enjoy most about being in your specialty?

Occupational Physicians work in many areas. We consult to and work with business, and through that work have a fabulous opportunity to see how the world works. Half of what we deal with is medicine, and the rest is the interface between people, systems, and workplaces.

The best thing about our work is the variety. Work extends from care of an individual patient, to influencing managers, to working at a strategic level. One day I will be visiting a company that makes glass beer bottles (and boy a lot of them are made), the next recommending treatment for a person, and then training human resources managers in how to deal with return to work. And then be working with others to draft a policy with the College of Physicians on an important health area. We deal with employees, supervisors, health and safety, CEOs, and government organisations.

What are some of the challenges of being in your specialty?

Not many people know what an Occupational Physician is or does. Even my mother asked one day, even though I had been working in the field for about eight years.

What are some of the things that you did to help you decide and plan your career for this specialty?

Working in the area part time, in conjunction with General Practice, allowed me to understand what the field involved. It was engaging and interesting enough for me to undertake and complete the specialist training program.

What advice do you have for students interested in your specialty?

Talk to any of the Occupational Physicians listed on the Faculty website. We are a small group and would be delighted to give you further information.

What do you do outside of medicine to relax?

Not much. There are many opportunities to contribute, and I enjoy working on and doing new things enough to keep busy with work activities.

»Visit the Occupational and Environmental Medicine specialty page