Dr. Steven Peterson was going to work on a bicycle in the fall of 2018 when he was hit by a car and taken to the same emergency department where he had to start work.
“The driver stopped and called the ambulance and would probably have saved my life by doing so,” he said.
“My classmates were waiting for me. They were aware that a trauma was approaching.
“And they were wondering where I was because maybe I was involved in management.”
Dr. Peterson became quadriplegic after the accident in Orange, New South Wales, but care technology and changes to his home and work environment have allowed him to continue practicing.
“I did a lot of research to find out how tetraplegia and medicine would work,” he said.
“After a lot of trial and error, we were able to figure out what was best.”
Dr. Peterson conducts telehealth consultations and teaches. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
Dr. Peterson currently serves as a telehealth officer for NSW regional hospitals.
He also works on alcohol addiction and detoxification, teaches and has recently been elected to a local government.
Doctors avoiding disability
Dr. Peterson is one of several medical professionals in Australia who have not let disability stop them from pursuing their careers.
Greenwood physiotherapist Robert Vander Kraats suffered a stroke in 2015. (Supplied)
In the Greenwood suburb of Perth, Western Australian physiotherapist Robert Vander Kraats returned to work two years ago after suffering a stroke in 2015.
He said his challenge was to find someone to help him overcome his physical limitations.
“Cognitively I’m fine, but physically I can’t do things, realistically,” Vander Kraats said.
“And with a physiotherapist you need both in the same room.”
Vander Kraats is now working with his friend and fellow physiotherapist Jeff Wong.
They have developed a complementary partnership, combining their skills, knowledge and experience.
“Jeff is more than my hands. We communicate and work really well together,” Kraats said.
Prior to his 30th birthday, Vander Kraats worked with elite athletes such as the AFL West Coast Eagles.
“The first initial answer was, why did it happen to me?” He said.
“A few weeks ago I was doing triathlon, so I was pretty fit and had no warning signs and then, hey, it happened to me.
“So right now you can choose your attitude, think, ‘What can you do about it?'”
Physiotherapist Robert Vander Kraats is receiving treatment for himself. (Provided by: Eve Wolfe)
Vander Kraats, who still does regular treatment himself, said direct experience with the disability had also informed his focus on his clients.
This included being able to relate to a patient’s medical experiences and those involved in the National Disability Insurance Plan.
“[Before] I could sympathize, but not empathize, and now I can because I know perfectly well what’s going on, ”Vander Kraats said.
Physicians with Disabilities start-up
Dr. Dinesh Palipana is a senior resident at Gold Coast University Hospital and an advisor to the Royal Disability Commission, which was established in April 2019.
He has quadriplegia as a result of a motor vehicle accident that caused him a cervical spinal cord injury halfway through medical school.
Dr. Palipana says there should be no unnecessary barriers for doctors who want to work. (Supplied)
Dr. Palipana is a founding member of Doctors With Disability Australia (DWDA), a national advocacy organization working to remove barriers, prejudice and stigma in the medical profession for students, doctors and healthcare professionals.
“We have supported allied health students, we have supported nursing students, we have supported a number of people during this trip,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s just talking directly to the hospital or a school to support a student or talking to decision makers.
“[There] there should be very little reason for the hospital to deny someone with a severe disability, because there are precedents. “
Dr. Palipana said he believed it would benefit everyone to help people reach their full potential.
“Australia is a country where, as a society, we have invested billions of dollars to empower people.
“If someone wants to be a doctor so much, why should we try to stop him?”
Change of perceptions
Ari Patison is a third-year neurodiverse medical student at the University of NSW.
He has set up a disability committee at his university to raise awareness and provide a safe environment for other students to find networks, support and advocacy.
Ms. Patison said she contacted DWDA and found Dr. Palipana’s support invaluable.
“The support they have given us has been very calm and communicative … just validating the experiences and [confirming] that some of the things we’ve faced are wrong, “he said.
Dr. Palipana said he was able to talk to her by setting up the group.
“It was … connecting it with other groups and involving it with some of the big level changes we’re trying to make,” he said.
Find the right job
For returning students and doctors, Dr. Palipana said it was important to combine their skills with career paths and opportunities.
Dr Dinesh Palipana is a founding member of Doctors With Disability Australia. (Supplied)
“I’m not going to have neurosurgery, am I?” He said.
“I have no finger function, so it ‘s a logistical challenge.
“But I see patients at ED and I’ve been working at Australia’s busiest ED for six years.
“So there are so many places where you can fit in. Medicine is a big, big, and so diverse profession.”
Telehealth goes further
Dr. Peterson added that COVID-19 had made technology-driven services such as telehealth more acceptable.
“The telehealth service started before COVID, but people are more used to it now,” he said.
“This is a real query, and we can upload a video or [consult] By phone.
“I can see the patient, or I can receive verbal instruction from different nursing professionals.”
For Dr. Peterson, his mentality was an important element in his response to his changed circumstances.
“Both I and the whole nation had invested heavily in becoming a doctor.
“So this return on investment is still due.
“It’s good to have an income and have a nice, useful job, but I felt that if I could work, I should.”