Cairns’ newest LifeFlight critical care doctor has fully embraced the Far North Queensland lifestyle as she prepares for the next stage in her aeromedical career.
Doctor Elizabeth Wilson, who is originally from New Zealand, began working as a registrar in the emergency department at Cairns Base Hospital in 2023.
Dr Wilson said it was a culture shock when she first arrived, particularly the hot and humid weather, however she was now fully immersed in all the tropical city had to offer.
“It was certainly a little bit of an environmental shock coming from little old New Zealand so I have had to acclimatise, which took probably longer than expected,” she said.
“I think it’s a really beautiful place. You have to get used to the creepy crawlies and the occasional crocodile, but other than that, it’s awesome.”
“And I love getting outdoors and enjoying the hiking and so many epic waterfalls to swim in that are croc free.”
Dr Wilson has just undergone a week of intensive aeromedical training at the LifeFlight Training Academy at Brisbane Airport prior to working for LifeFlight, on board the QGAir helicopter in Cairns.
She said the motivation was to expand her experience in retrieval medicine and further develop trouble shooting skills while working in a small team.
“I think working in retrieval medicine, it really makes you appreciate a small team. It really makes you appreciate what you can do and what skills you have to offer, because there’s no one else there,” she said.
“It’s just you, a paramedic, a pilot and the RCO (rescue crew officer), so really have to make it work.”
She said the LifeFlight training, including the specialised Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), had prepared her for the challenges she may face in the field.
“My HUET experience was really cool. I really love a good stress test and I think this certainly quantifies that. I think it is really good being able to stay calm in a very stressful environment and that’s certainly what this is.”
Dr Wilson will join Dr Natalie Nicholas and Dr Robert Johnston in Cairns to help Queenslanders access critical care from the sky.
She is one of 29 doctors supporting communities across the state from the southeast to northern Queensland.
LifeFlight HUET Manager Mick Dowling said the rigorous training doctors experienced was part of what attracted doctors to LifeFlight.
“The doctor training that we provide is very competitive, so we get a lot of doctors applying because of the standard of training that they’re receiving from industry experts,” he said.
He said the HUET training was particularly challenging for doctors but was a test many relished.
“When we get the doctors first in for this training, they’re all a little bit nervous and anxious because it’s a situation they haven’t been put into previously,” he said.
“But we’ve got a softly, softly approach that we take to get them through this training and it can be quite challenging.
“It’s great watching them build confidence. They are always willing to jump in and get it done and then they’re moving on to help us out in the community with regard to their doctor skillsets.”
The intensive aeromedical academic and practical training program also included rescue winching and challenging clinical scenarios to ensure the doctors are fully prepared.
LifeFlight Medical Director Dr Jeff Hooper said doctors were prepared for a range of situations they may face in the field, such as treating people injured by animals in a paddock or on the side-of-the-road following a motor vehicle crash.
“These are austere environments and are very different to what they are used to in the hospital system,” Dr Hooper said.
“We find the training that we do is really intense, it’s very realistic and it means that the doctors are really ready to go for any challenge they may face in the job.”
LifeFlight is the largest employer of aeromedical doctors in the country with more than 180 medical professionals.
All doctors go through simulated scenarios at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy where they put their clinical skills into practice.
LifeFlight helped 8,497 Queenslanders in the past financial year – 3.9 per cent higher than the previous year.
Cairns-based LifeFlight critical care doctors helped 930 people in FY25.
The majority of LifeFlight critical care doctors’ work is performed on behalf of Queensland Health, tasked by Retrieval Services Queensland, within Queensland Ambulance Service.
