A fateful brush with emergency response work has prompted Maddison Lucas to swap high-vis for scrubs as she embarks on a new career journey with West Moreton Health.
Ms Lucas is one of 51 new junior doctors who have joined the health service, four years after experiencing a professional epiphany.
She had been working as a mine site engineer for a year when her calling to medicine crystallised.
"It’s funny, I was working in a mine site, and I got to be involved in an emergency response team where we were the first responders on the site if there was a mine collapse or fire or anything like that,” she said.
“We did some medical work as part of our training and I just went, ‘I need to get out of my job. I need to do medicine’.
“That really sparked my journey into medicine, just that desire to help people in that critical moment.”
Ms Lucas promptly returned to study at Griffith University, completing her medical degree at the end of 2025.
She will now spend the next 12 months as a medical intern at Ipswich Hospital, rotating through general medicine, general surgery, the emergency department, and obstetrics and gynecology.
“I'm really excited to get more hands-on experience and learning on the job,” she said.
“I know I'm going to learn something new every day, and I just can't wait to see what that new thing is.
“I’m also part of the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway program so longer term, I'd really love to become a rural generalist.”
But for now, the 29-year-old from Brisbane is happy to call Ipswich home.
“I was really keen to come out to Ipswich Hospital. My partner and I have just moved to Ipswich,” she said.
“I do enjoy the region, and I’d heard Ipswich Hospital is a very supportive environment, and the staff are very helpful and friendly.
“I’m really excited to confirm all that myself. There's so many positives about coming to Ipswich.”
For more on a career with West Moreton Health, visit the careers webpage.