Interview - Dr Cheryl Johnson

I completed my physician training in Geriatrics and General Medicine in 2013 and am currently employed as a Geriatrician at North Shore Hospital.  Going into Medicine and Geriatrics in particular was a decision I made during my years as a house surgeon and junior registrar. 

Back at medical school, I had aspirations of being a surgeon, Cardiothoracic or Neurosurgeon to be exact…quite removed from where I am today!  The key thing I learnt during my early years about being a doctor is that you have to find the right speciality that fits your particular temperament and skills.  I realised in my first house officer year that I wasn’t suited to surgery.  It was during a weekend on-call shift as a general surgical house officer that I was asked to assist the on-call surgeon in theatre urgently.  Unfortunately for this particular patient, she had a very severe intra-abdominal bleed and she did not survive her operation.  I recall being scrubbed in trying hard to help the surgeon and feeling completely terrified and out of my depth about what was happening.  The surgeon on the other hand, remained so calm and collected throughout the whole process.  It was then I realised that I am much more suited to a specialty where I can take the time to consider a diagnosis and treatment plan rather than making decision in an instant. 

The decision to become a Geriatrician came in the week before I sat my physician exams.  I enjoyed studying about the older patient, their physiological changes and their particular disease processes like dementia, delirium and falls.  When you look from the outside, Geriatrics might seem like an unrewarding speciality that is “full of old people” but it couldn’t be further from the truth!  My job is put people’s lives back together after they have suffered from a severe illness or following an operation and hopefully make it better!  I help people remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible or advocate for those vulnerable patients who no longer have a voice in society or in their own lives. 

My typical day consists of caring for my rehabilitation inpatients on the ward and I round on these patients twice a week.  On other days I spent time talking with patients and their families and keep them updated on progress or plans for their care.  I work closely with the members of my multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language therapists, needs assessors and social workers.  I see myself as the captain of the ship filled with so many talented people and we work together to achieve the best outcome for the patient.  My specialty area is in stroke rehabilitation along with dementia.  I help people get back home after life changing and devastating strokes with the help of my team.  Being a geriatrician means being “a jack of all trades” and I look after patients with delirium, orthopaedic problems, following surgical procedures, following medical illness with deconditioning and so many more!  My work day is always different and varied.  Our ward is designed to simulate a more homely environment as the focus is on rehabilitation and wellness.  All my patients are dressed in their usual clothes which makes such a difference to how they see themselves and how I see them as a person and not a patient.   I also have a weekly outpatient clinic and see patients with all manner of illnesses that affect the ageing population.  I also have the privilege of seeing patients in their own home which allows me to assess how they manage in their own environment. 

Not only do I have clinical responsibilities but there are so many other facets to my job.  I have many opportunities for teaching and mentoring.  We have medical students join us on the wards to learn about geriatrics plus I like to “teach my craft” to the registrars and house officers who are attached to the ward.  I also teach the house surgeons about the “Geriatrics Giants” like dementia, delirium and falls.  I am an Educational Supervisor for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and mentor junior doctors through their physician training.  I am also the chair of the Medicine Vocational Training Committee who oversees all the allocations for medicine positions in the Auckland region.  I am also active within the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in areas of basic training and the clinical examination.  I am also expected to keep up to date with advances in medicine and this allows me to get in some travel time to international conferences. 

I work as a full-time Geriatrician and as a full-time Mum to my beautiful son.  I managed to balance full-time training with full-time motherhood.  Becoming a consultant has eased some of those pressures and allows me to juggle my time better so I can be there for all the important activities for my son.    I am also on the on-call roster for Geriatrics but that tends to be less acute than other specialities and most things can be dealt with over the phone.  Weekends are spent with my son doing things together, in the gym for good stress relief or spending time with my friends and family. 

Training in Auckland is exceptional with lots of opportunities.  Each hospital is so unique with respect to the population their serve, experiences they provide and people who work there.  The experience you receive in training in Auckland is up there with other major international hospitals particularly in Australasia.