Message from Kerry Horadam

Hi Andrew,

I am still working as a solo GP part-time.

I started off doing terms in country NSW until I discovered flying and got my PPL in Mudgee.

Back in Sydney I used to work in the old "blue light clinic" at Circular Quay which is now a posh Hotel.  I used to drive in over the bridge (½ hour from Manly, cost: 20c) and had my own parking spot on Alfred St!  Or take the ferry in ...what a life!

Then marriage and kids (2 great girls) and my own solo practice - which immediately got burgled.

We moved states a fair bit until we found a 10 acre property not far from Sydney where I've been breeding and selling cattle and looking after the place. 

I did come to a reunion at MacLaurin Hall, to reminisce about a room of great dread.

I'm not one for "blogging" but you're welcome to transcribe this little bit.

Regards

Kerry Horadam 

Message from Peter Brady ... APRIL 2023

Andrew

Thank you for your email. I am still in practice as a Cardiothoracic surgeon at RNSH, looking forward to winding down. Have recently stopped doing “on call” so it feels like a whole new world.  30 yrs married to Belinda, 2 beautiful daughters, 2 wonderful sons-in-law and 2 grandsons. As they say, if you knew how great it was to have grandchildren you would have had them first!!  Spending as much time as possible on my cattle farm up in Northern rivers district, enjoy the physical work, veterinary and obstetric interventions as well as the country folk.  Have been following “class” through the snippets I have received via your posts and Bernie Hudson who I see a lot of at work. Well done.

Hope the re-union goes well

Warm regards

Peter (Brady)

 

Message from Rick McLean ...

 Hi Andrew

Oui, c'est MOI!

I attended the 25th year reunion in 2003 when I was head of USyd School of Rural Health in Dubbo, and to maintain symmetry I hope to attend the 50th!

I did write a note for the 40th reunion when I was working in Wangaratta in nuclear medicine (and still a little general medicine).

But since then I transitioned down to four days a week and then three days a week and then stopped fully in mid-2022. Fortunately during COVID, working primarily in imaging, I was able (or was required - being immunosuppressed on Humira for psoriatic arthropathy) to report mostly from home.

At the end of 2021 I had a TKR but have otherwise been largely WFA  - well for age (as opposed to weight for age in the horse racing game).

Three months after ceasing work entirely I recanted and decided to do the odd locum which I have been doing since then - currently in Perth for a bit - but don’t intend to keep going past the end of the year.

My wife and I moved from our four bedroom house on one acre in Wangaratta to a two bedroom apartment in Port Melbourne a year ago and love the proximity to all those things that were noticeably scarce in Wangaratta - good food and entertainment, and able to walk to most places for necessities. Wouldn’t go back to Sydney if you paid me!

I have taken up the mandolin in the last few years - a stretch for someone of advanced years who never did anything musical before. Challenging, frustrating, fun, hopefully warding off Alzheimer’s a little. 

Hope to see youse all in five short years!

Rick

Message from Lesley Soo (Hort) in Brisbane.

After a challenging time at uni, I have had an interesting and mostly rewarding career. After spending time in the PNG highlands, and marrying a Malaysian Chinese dentist I met there, I have worked in many places alongside his career in public dentistry. Much of my medical practice has been in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health including in Redfern, Alice Springs, East Arnhem land and now Brisbane. I have also worked in general practice in country Victoria and Melbourne. We have 3 sons. I am still working full time in Brisbane, mostly enjoying it, despite the explosion of mental health and drug and alcohol issues. 

I look back on our careers and reflect on the massive changes in medicine, medical practice and society since we all graduated. 

I am attaching the PBS in 1979 for us all to consider- I found this with my knitting patterns!!  

How many medications do you remember? 

How many drugs on this list do we still use? 

How the PBS and Medicare have grown as well!

I hope you all have an enjoyable evening. 

Best regards

Lesley