'Even as a little girl, I was fascinated": Why Kati Davies was destined to become a doctor

While Dr Kati Davies could be relaxing at night with the latest celebrity autobiography, a true crime thriller or some chick lit, she tends to stick to the books she loves. Like medical journals, textbooks and other detailed sources of information that help make her a better problem solver for the patients of Your GP Denman Prospect.

 

“I love medicine and I think if you spoke to some of my colleagues, they’d say I’m a bit of a nerd actually,” Dr Davies laughs.

“I’m always sending them new and random things I’ve learned and I do sometimes have to mentally diversify my reading – just because I love medicine so much, I tend to read about it all the time.”Dr Davies knew as a child growing up in central London that she was destined to become a doctor. She was “totally fascinated” by people, and always had a drive to “just make things around me better”. She studied at St George’s Hospital at London University where she also learned that she preferred the variety of being a generalist over training to become a specialist.

“I love problem solving so, for me, having a new problem to solve for each patient, is a great thing,” she says.

The more complex the problem, the better. In her role as a GP in rural NSW, before arriving in Canberra, Dr Davies’ work tended to centre on complex cardiovascular conditions, rheumatology, heart and respiratory challenges associated with an older demographic.

Now that she’s in Canberra, she’s continually upskilling and increasing her reading on allergies, dermatology and paediatrics.

But how Dr Davies even finds time for reading is a good question. The young doctor, who moved to Australia with her husband in 2013, has two daughters under five, a patient list at Your GP Crace and a patient list at Denman Prospect that’s steadily growing.

She says in the same way she’s good at taking care of people, she’s also good at taking care of herself.

“For me, it’s pretty simple, and what it boils down to is maintaining a level of happiness,” she says.

“When you’re overly stressed, or when you’re anxious, or when you’re feeling overwhelmed, your level of joy reduces.

“I’m pretty good at recognising when I’m not feeling good about things and knowing that the balance is out a bit.

“So I just try to reflect on what part of my life is creating that stress, and try to readjust the balance.

“I’m also mindful of the fact I have two small children and I’m not going to get that time back, ever.”

 

 

She’s looking forward to watching the Denman Prospect community grow, Dr Davies says, and of being of service to the people of the entire Molonglo Valley.

“I’m also loving coming to work in a practice surrounded by so much natural light and with a view that includes a river and so much green space,” she says.

“I never realised just how architecture and the environment you work in can have such an incredible impact on your work.”

Dr Davies is available at Your GP Denman Prospect on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

 

To book an appointment, head to https://www.yourgpdenman.com.au/ or call 6109 0000.