What inspired two former presidents of the Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch (ADAQ) to take up leadership positions in rural dental clinics?
For University of Queensland alumnus Dr Derek Lewis, the Supervising Dentist Team Leader at UQ’s St George Dental Clinic, it was to encourage students to experience the joys of rural practice, as he did throughout his career.
“When I graduated, I was very much the ‘wet behind the ears’ city boy,” Dr Lewis said.
“Working for Queensland Health, I was appointed in Cloncurry as ‘Dentist in Charge’ and was the only dentist in the Cloncurry and Julia Creek clinics.
