IN 1978, a young Dr Andrew Brommeyer arrived in Ballarat to work as a medical intern.<\/p>\n
Becoming one of the city\u2019s general practitioners two years later, he embedded himself in the community, and has been a familiar and friendly face, and source of support for many Ballarat people ever since.<\/p>\n
Recently retired, Dr Brommeyer has been reflecting on his career, and the role one individual GP can play in thousands of peoples\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeneral practice is what is says. You need to be a master of all trades, from immunisations, to blood pressure checks and writing scripts, to helping with migraines, and preventative life stuff… It\u2019s quite demanding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour capacity to diagnose people improves with experience and time… but I think the responsibility actually weighs quite heavily on you. Now that I\u2019ve been retired for six weeks, there\u2019s a sense of that lifting. I don\u2019t miss that responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I do miss is the staff and the patients, because they\u2019re interesting, and you can have fantastic conversations about all sorts of things with people from all walks of life. Everyone has something amazing about them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Brommeyer said it was always an \u201cabsolute privilege\u201d to be welcomed into the lives of families to assist them with their healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would often be looking after four generations of people in the one family, and that gives you a unique perspective on life. To watch all generations together is fascinating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very interesting to watch people grow and age, and a lot of patients have aged with us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Moments with patients can be special, and Dr Brommeyer said it made his job worthwhile, like the joys of seeing someone\u2019s grandparent get better.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t get that personal interaction, then what\u2019s the point? It\u2019s a fabulous privilege that people in medical areas other than general practice don\u2019t get to see to the same degree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving from his own Lydiard Street practice of 30 years to UFS Medical on Doveton Street north in the latter part of his career, Dr Brommeyer\u2019s professional focus began to move from general practice to occupational health; an area of passion.<\/p>\n
Broadly over his 42 years of practice, he said medicine\u2019s diagnostic tools have evolved to be \u201cphenomenal,\u201d including the \u201crevolutionary\u201d ultrasound and CT scanners.<\/p>\n
As for where medicine is heading, he sees a \u201cgreat future in healthcare,\u201d and predicts the use of more and more complex, but accurate, technologies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some new methods of treatment in the pipeline which I think are going to be fabulous and mean more personalised treatment for all sorts of disorders.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the new biological agents coming on stream, you wouldn\u2019t have imagined would have been possible decades ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the COVID vaccine, for example, we\u2019ve seen how quickly things can develop when the scientific and the industrial community put their heads together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just really need to ensure that traditional general practice is maintained. If it goes the way of the \u2018sausage machine,\u2019 that\u2019s the end of good healthcare in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Away from work, Dr Brommeyer spent many years, and many early mornings, coaching Ballarat Grammar senior rowing crews, and was a member of Rotary.<\/p>\n
His wife Liz is a practicing GP, and they worked alongside one another for most of their careers. Together, they have four adult children, one of which is also a doctor.<\/p>\n
Although he\u2019s \u201cstill coming down\u201d from a busy and meaningful career, Dr Brommeyer said retirement is excellent, especially with five young grandchildren to run around after.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m helping the kids with babysitting, and projects around their houses. I\u2019m also building up my woodworking skills, making dining room tables, hall tables and stands, and decking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s also a lot of Australia yet to see. I enjoy motor racing, so I\u2019m going to visit races around the country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IN 1978, a young Dr Andrew Brommeyer arrived in Ballarat to work as a medical intern. Becoming one of the city\u2019s general practitioners two years later, he embedded himself in the community, and has been a familiar and friendly face, and source of support for many Ballarat people ever since. Recently retired, Dr Brommeyer has […]<\/p>\n