ENT FEATURE

ENT Wallabies

BY TONY PARKER

Juggling the demands of elite sport, a boisterous social life on tour and medical academia would seem too much for mere mortals. All in a day’s work for your average Wallaby.

to New Zealand with the and Australian under 21’s, and finally at age 20, I had just been picked for the Wallabies to tour the UK. My medical studies were definitely taking second billing. This tour was for 13 weeks with a princely allowance of £5.50 per day, which was a fortune to a medical student but not so great for those players who were parents with several kids. My one big regret from that year was that I had been part of a group assignment about the effect of smoking on life insurance premiums that ultimately obtained a top score of seven. I was left off the authorship list and I sadly never managed a perfect seven during my uni days as there were too many other distractions which prevented me from studying as well as I could have. urrently I am a Senior Visiting The next year I suffered a number Medical officer at the new Lady of injuries and, hence, completed Cilento Children’s Hospital and my academic year without too many CMater hospitals in Brisbane as interruptions related to rugby, although I do well having a private practice. My special recall Dr Jon Cohen in my surgical tutorials interest is hearing loss and cochlear discussing the weekend results with myself implants, having performed over 800 CI and others. That year one of my mentors, procedures. ‘Chilla’ Wilson at UQRC, became the I grew up as the youngest of eight Australian rugby team manager. Chilla, an children in a sports obsessed family and obstetrician and former Wallaby captain, coincidentally also had two deaf siblings, supervised one of my obstetric exams in one of whom now has a cochlear implant. his hotel room in Sydney. This was two I believe these things were integral in days before I ran on to play the All Blacks. shaping my future. I had to wake him twice, once at the end I was first influenced by Dr Mick Barry, of the exam, and once because his snoring a retired ENT from the Gold Coast, who was affecting my thinking. I am absolutely played for the Queensland Reds and certain this type of exam supervision would “On finishing medicine, it Australia as a No 9 whilst I was at school. not be allowed these days. One other was difficult to maintain At that time I would never have thought I recollection of Chilla was when I first met would follow his career path. him at the uni rugby club at my first Colts the training necessary for I commenced my medical studies at the training session with him as coach. I was representative football with very young age of 16 and quickly joined the late for training as I had been at lectures. University of Queensland I thought I would turn up with 15 mins left 60-hour weeks as an intern, Club (UQRC). At medical school I was lucky and watch from the sidelines but Chilla to have a very helpful dean, Professor Ralph made me run at half-back for the entire 15 weekend work and work Doherty. In my fourth year of medicine mins without changing out of my trousers, outside Brisbane making it in 1981, he had an interview with me two shirt and tie. I hadn’t met Chilla prior to thirds of the way through the year, where he that but his passion as a coach certainly left almost impossible to train suggested an honourable deferment might an impression on me. Later that year on be in my interests. That year I had attended the way back from France whilst sitting in with even a club team” university for about a third of the expected Heathrow airport for the connecting flight time. I had toured Japan with the Australian to Australia, Chilla made me supervise Universities Rugby XV, took multiple trips a law exam for Chris Roach, a flanker on

ent and audiology news | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | VOL 25 NO 5 | www.entandaudiologynews.com ENT FEATURE

“I am not sure that we will see too many medicos playing for Australia in future, I hope I am wrong”

that trip. It was hard to stay awake as we and vascular; a great range of experience had undertaken a big night of celebrating for my future ENT career. A year in Cairns the end of tour the night before. I presume followed, prior to commencing ENT Chris passed. training. On finishing medicine, it was difficult My ENT interview panel consisted of Dr to maintain the training necessary Michael Barry (former Wallaby) and Bill for representative football with 60-hr Coman, an avid rugby follower. Luckily for weeks as an intern, weekend work and me there were only two applicants and work outside Brisbane making it almost I was successful. In 2016 in Queensland impossible to train with even a club there are 14 applicants for one job and team. A fellow called Nick Farr-Jones most of their CVs are very impressive. also emerged playing half back and he The rest of my training was a made it difficult for me to make the combination of long hours, hard work, Australian side. These things, along with listening, learning and developing Dr Anthony Parker rugby’s ongoing status as an amateur interpersonal skills. Luckily I passed my Senior Visiting Medical Officer, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, sport, made it much easier to decide to fellowship exam about two weeks before Mater Hospital Brisbane, concentrate on medicine. Bill Campbell, my first child was born. Finally, I obtained Mater Cochlear Implant Clinic, another Brisbane Wallaby-playing a fellowship at the Beaumont Hospital in Hear & Say, LCCH CIC. medical student and now a vascular Dublin under Professor Michael Walsh at E: [email protected] surgeon in Melbourne, was somehow the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Declaration of Competing Interests: None declared. able to finish his medical degree and Medical School. It was a great year combine work with rugby. We were at professionally and personally for my wife ABOUT THE AUTHOR school together but I think he finished his Susie and oldest boy Harry. degree three years later than me. I also When I returned to Brisbane, I Dr Parker graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine played alongside Dr Mark Loane, a former obtained work at the Mater Childrens in 1984 from the University of Queensland Medical captain of the Wallabies who is now an and Adults hospital where I took over School. As a medical student he also represented Australia in rugby, playing for both the Wallabies eminent ophthalmologist. Dr Phil Crowe doing cochlear implants. At that time, and the Queensland Reds. Dr Parker received his was a Wallaby winger who played for a the Mater Cochlear Implant programme Fellowship in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck few years prior to obtaining a Rhodes performed one to three a year: now we surgery after completing his training in Queensland scholarship to Oxford. I am not sure that are performing 30 to 50 a year, depending when he became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1993. we will see too many medicos playing for on funding. Dr Parker is currently on the Wesley Medical Australia in future: I hope I am wrong. Now I look back at my rugby days with Advisory Committee and is Chairman of the Wesley Once I finished medicine and my fond memories and am grateful that I ENT Speciality Group. rugby career, I spent six months in had the opportunity to play elite rugby Currently Dr Parker is the Chairman (Vice Chairman) Rockhampton, a regional Queensland whilst completing my medical degree. of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery city, as a surgical Principal House Officer, I still follow rugby at the University (ASOHNS). followed by 12 months at the Gold Coast, of Queensland, watching my sons. My living across the road from the beach eldest son, a medical student, is trying to at Surfers Paradise. It was a busy job combine high level rugby with medicine. as a PHO covering ENT, neurosurgery, It is more difficult these days than it was orthopaedics, general surgery, urology for me.

ent and audiology news | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | VOL 25 NO 5 | www.entandaudiologynews.com