Dr Cath Hester
Cath officially qualifies as a local. She grew up climbing mango trees and ransacking native lemons in the bush of Mt Crosby. Having four older brothers ensured that her mother repeatedly attempted to dress her in pink despite her clashing red hair, and that she could whack a tennis ball and double de-clutch her first car, a Chrysler Galant, with equal aplomb. Cath initally completed a bachelor degree in medical engineering, but despite her love of physics, Fourier transformations and internationally patented bioceramics, Cath decided to study medicine after working in an orthopaedic hospital in Belfast.
Many hospital rotations later, including a lengthy stint working and trying to avoid sunburn in remote Cloncurry, Cath started her specialist training and career in family medicine. Then she really started studying – she now has further high-acuity training in most areas of family medicine including sexual and reproductive health, child health, and an unseemly amount of qualifications and experience in skin cancer (perhaps mostly due to a drive for ginger-haired self preservation).
Cath is an ardent supporter of quality in General Practice, and has been a regular College examiner for the RACGP since 2015.
In addition to her clinical GP work, Cath is an experienced non-executive director. She contributes to a number of different boards in various capacities. She is an elected Faculty Council member for the RACGP Qld since August 2017 and is currently serving as the Deputy Chair. In May 2019 Cath was appointed by the Health Minister, Hon Steven Miles, to serve as a board member for the West Moreton Hospital and Health Service, overseeing health service provision in the local region. Cath is also a member of the RACGP Expert Committee for Funding and Healthcare Reform.
Dr Cath is a senior lecturer for UQ Medical School, providing teaching to medical students undertaking their GP placements.
Cath and Tony have a number of furry and feathered offspring including two Italian greyhounds, and many Indian runner ducks, however are disappointed that so far none of them have been born with ginger hair.
Dr Cath’s qualifications
- BE(Hons) MBBS DACSCM ADD DCH GAICD ADD FRACGP
- BE(Hons) – Bachelor degree of medical engineering from the Queensland University of Technology (achieved with honours)
- MBBS – Postgraduate degree of medicine and surgery from the University of Queensland
- DACSCM – Postgraduate Diploma of the Australian College of Skin Cancer Medicine (now known as the Australian College of Cutaneous Oncology)
- ADD – Postgraduate Diploma in advanced dermoscopy (a technique to assist in skin cancer diagnosis) from the Skin Cancer College Australasia
- DCH – Postgraduate Diploma of Child Health from the University of Sydney.
- GAICD – Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
- ADD – Postgraduate Australian Diploma of Dermatology (achieved with special credit)
- FRACGP – Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (this denotes specialist qualifications in family medicine)