Julia Creek, a remote town in Queensland, has successfully filled its vacant doctor position, which attracted significant attention due to its $600,000 salary. The local health service received 95 applications from around the world for the role, which serves a population of 550 residents. The selected candidate, Dr. Pip Bunting, is an Australian rural generalist who learned about the job while enjoying a beer with her brother on a cattle property near Mudgee, New South Wales.

"I actually had not seen the viral campaign," Dr. Bunting said. "We were having a beer one afternoon out the front and I said, 'Oh, I'm really looking for a new challenge now.' And my brother said, 'What about Julia Creek?'" Her brother, who previously drove road trains across the Top End, had heard about the job on ABC Radio while stopping in Julia Creek for COVID tests.

Now two months into her new role, Dr. Bunting is embracing her life in Julia Creek. "This is a fantastic little community," she remarked. "I've called it a bit of a utopia to my friends. There's so much to do out here."

Sean Birgan, chief executive of the North West Hospital and Health Service, noted that the selection process narrowed down to eight Australian rural generalist doctors. The previous doctor, Adam Louws, held the position for two years before relocating to Brisbane with his family. The GP role is based at the Julia Creek Multipurpose Health Service, which includes an emergency department, general practice, and aged care support.

"These roles require a huge responsibility for a single town doctor," Birgan explained. He added that the salary and benefits for the position align with those of any qualified doctor in a remote Queensland location. Dr. Bunting was chosen for her extensive experience in rural generalist and emergency medicine. "We're very confident we've made the right choice," Birgan stated.

Dr. Bunting expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity to be the sole doctor in a community, practicing what she describes as "true rural generalist" medicine. "You get to use all your skills. You're dealing with patients that have babies, right through to aged care and everything in between," she said. "It's a real privilege to be invited into people's lives as doctors, sometimes at the best times of their life, sometimes at the worst."

She noted that there is no typical day in her role, but the support from her colleagues and the community has made her work manageable. "Even on our crazy busy days, it has been good because we've got a really good team," she added.

In September, the Medical Board of Australia and the federal government recognized rural medicine as a specialty practice. Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler stated that this recognition establishes a national standard, encouraging more doctors to pursue careers in rural generalist medicine. Dr. Bunting emphasized the importance of recruiting rural youth into the medical field, saying, "I think certainly coming from a rural background, we should try really hard to recruit kids that have grown up in that rural environment and appreciate how special that can be."

Looking ahead, Dr. Bunting plans to make Julia Creek her home. "I'm here for a while, absolutely," she affirmed. "What a great place to work when every day ends with a magic Julia Creek sunset."