Bitten by a remote call
TOM Meath has travelled to Hobart, Weipa, Aurukun, Thursday Island and the Solomon Islands in his journey to become a dentist.
The Kewarra Beach 22year-old is one of 59 James Cook University dentistry students who will have their degrees conferred at the Cairns Convention Centre today.
Mr Meath said it wasn’t an easy journey to complete a Bachelor of Dental Surgery, but he had a lot of fun along the way.
“After growing up in Far North Queensland and living here all my life I wanted to have a couple of challenges,” he said.
“I did a placement last year in Hobart. This year I did placement in Weipa and across Cape York. It was an unreal experience.”
He said his time working as a student dentist on Thursday Island was quick-paced but it wasn’t until he travelled to the Solomon Islands that he was really challenged.
“The main challenge was the number of people you’d see in a day. It was five times the number of patients you’d see in Australia,” he said.
“It makes you realise how good we have it here.”
Despite the challenges of working off the grid, the graduate dentist is ready to set out on his next adventure.
“JCU is second to none; I’ve loved studying right here where I grew up but now I’m looking for rural and remote work,” he said.
Mr Meath’s graduation also falls on his mother's birthday, giving her an incredible birthday present.
More than 200 people will graduate from JCU Cairns’ Division of Tropical Health and Medicine today.
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