Introducing Dr John Watson
I grew up in Cronulla , south of Sydney. I graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1985 and spent my time as a Resident Medical Officer working in the Illawarra region. Following RMO years I was fortunate to do 6 month training posts in Sports Medicine, Community Paediatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Sexual Health, before settling into General Practice .
I have always enjoyed being a GP , but have over the years mixed it up with other work like casualty , surgical assisting, medical education etc. My arrangement for the last 10 years or so has been that for three days a week I work as a GP at the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service. In this role I am also a supervisor for the General Practice registrars, as well as a supervisor for University of Wollongong Medical School students.
For one day a week I work as a GP at Headspace Wollongong which is a youth mental health service and for another day a week as a primary care physician at a rehabilitation hospital in the Illawarra .
I live at Bulli which is 20mins north of Wollongong. Probably the most known spot around here is Sandon Point, but we are blessed with quite a few spots and set ups in the Illawarra as far as wind and wave directions go.
Currently I am riding a 6’2” Stacey Dire Wolf and a 6’1” Thomo Slater Sci Fi. Sometimes Thruster , sometimes Quad, I really struggle to work it out.
My overseas surfing is gaining momentum with three out of my four children having left school. I have surfed PNG, Bali and New Zealand with friends , and have surfed Fiji and Nicaragua with Surfers Medical association and Maldives with AMPED.
My other great passion now is spear fishing. I can have water time and turn off my brain even on flat swell days!