Medicine on the front line

“I was inspired to attend the University of Sydney based on the reputation and sense of esteem the campus had, which was instilled in me by my parents," says Dr Lilijana Gorringe.

Whle the location of her studies was decded upon early on, medicine was something Lilijana became most passionate about as a postgraduate. 

“While undertaking Honours in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, I was fortunate to have Professor John Mitrofanis as my supervisor," recalls Lilijana.

"He was very influential in my life. He instilled a love of neuroanatomy and academia generally.

"He was a huge support to me and gave me a lot of confidence.

“As I worked through my Honours and Masters degrees I decided I wanted to work in primary care.

"I loved the narrative and just knew I wanted to help people on the frontline.”

Now working as a general practitioner (GP) in Cronulla and in a casualty service, Lilijana is able to experience the breadth of primary care.

This includes patients she sees over the long term who are impacted by chronic illness, to acute urgent medicine. 

“My job is a privilege," says Lilijana.

"I feel every day I go to work I get a glimpse into the longitudinal journey of life in its entirety. From babies to end-of-life care, and everything in between.”

“As GPs, we are very good a seeing the bigger picture for patients in the community, we are advocates and experts in health promotion.

"It’s very rewarding."

Lilijana is also a senior lecturer at The University of Sydney Concord Clinical School and is the main student support head for postgraduate medical students.

“In this role I put my GP hat on, mentoring and guiding students," she explains.

"The University of Sydney has a long and strong tradition of teaching at Concord Hospital – in fact, I was a student there 20 years ago and loved it.

"A lot of dedicated doctors give up their time willingly to train our medical students.

Lilijana is an advocate for the experiences available to all students who study at the University of Sydney.

“I think the University of Sydney gives students a huge range of experience in all facets of life that helps shape them as individuals," advocates Lilijana.

"The options for learning include a huge array of academic units, and therefore exposure to many academics and teachers.

“I’m always encouraging my medical students to get as involved in university life as possible as it is through their hobbies they are likely to form lifelong friendships and gain skills outside of their chosen career paths.”

As for her future, Lilijana plans to continue her work as a GP, as well as be a mentor to students.

“At Concord, I’m working with postgraduate students on ways we can enhance connectivity amongst our medical students,” she says.

“Ultimately, it’s my goal to make the student experience as fulfilling as it can be.”