Between Degrees: 1998-2002

It is hard to remember what I was doing for those years, so since I am writing this for myself, I will see what I can recall. My wife was working as a part time GP. The four children were growing. I was working in General Practice and also as a medical adviser to DVA. I was increasingly active in the local church. At one stage I was on the parish council, but I was mainly involved in the music since I could play guitar and they were short of musicians. I was asked to assist a youth group but they grew up and moved on and then I just played with my family or other groups. I also started making primitive backings for hymns on an ancient version of Band in a Box.

Looking at old documents reminded me that I was published in Australian Family Physician. My wife and I had been published previously but this one was on my own. I’m not sure if this is a draft or the final version but it does not suggest I am happy in General Practice.

This nasty piece of writing imagining the life of a drug rep would seem to confirm that.

I also found notes for a short talk, apparently to other doctors, about treating mental health issues. I don’t know what SC means.

On a brighter note I was leading evening sessions at St Edwards. Father Frank Andersen had come to talk to us for a couple of evenings and we decided to go more in depth over several weeks, largely based on his book, “Eucharist: Participating in the Mystery.”

I do not recall how but at some stage in 2002, I was made aware of the MA (Theol) course at ACU, for which I possessed the prerequisites and that was wholly online so it wouldn’t interfere with working two jobs (!). Which is how is spent from 2003 to 2006 doing the eight units that would make up a coursework MA.