Training doesn’t have to be fulltime: Members discuss pursuing other interests while completing your training
Are you trying to find ways to carve out time for other interests alongside a full-time career in medicine? We interviewed three Avant members who were able to balance their medical work with additional interests, and pave their own non-traditional career path allowing them flexibility and variety in their work.
Tuesday, 26 August 2025
“Training is a marathon, not a sprint … everyone goes through it in their own time” - Dr Jemma Hogan
Jemma currently works as a doctor specialising in both medical administration (RACMA) and paediatric medicine at St. John of God Health Care in Perth, Western Australia. We spoke with Jemma when she was a Paediatric and Medical Admin trainee. Hear what she had to say about juggling training demands with different career interests, and how she has been able to achieve a balance between her two interests.
Dr Benjamin Vialle
Ben has maintained a dual-track career, now working as a psychiatrist and contributing in advisory roles with Avant to provide insights into complex professional and ethical issues in psychiatric practice. We spoke with him when he was a psychiatry trainee, and he described the unexpected opportunity that led him down this path.
Doctor turned entrepreneur - Dr Joshua Case
Dr. Josh Case was able to bring together his passion for technology and software with his medical training to become an entrepreneur driving digital technology adoption in the healthcare industry. Josh currently spends his days advocating for digital transformation within the healthcare industry, and developing various technologies to streamline healthcare services in Australia and make doctors’ lives easier. In 2021 he founded the software company Go Locum, which helps hospitals across Australia fill urgent roster vacancies using modern technology.
Balancing the doctor-life with a young family - Dr Eleni Harman
Eleni is currently a fully qualified GP, who has been able to balance raising a family alongside training. We spoke with Dr. Eleni when she was a registrar with two very young children. She emphasised the importance of not rushing through training, having a support system, and how parenthood is shaping the kind of doctor she is becoming.
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