Life of a locum

Sharing personal experiences working as a Locum Sonographer in Australia and New Zealand, for others that are considering a change.

Are you curious about the reality of locum life?
The highs and lows, the unexpected challenges?
What is it like to transition from permanent to locum work?

Ideas and information to consider before, during and after a locum experience including logistics and personal learnings.

Gain the flexibility to manage your own career/life balance, challenge yourself both personally and professionally, one locum stint at a time.

Wearable ultrasound has the potential to redefine medical imaging, shifting it toward continuous, automated insight in real‑world settings. This presentation reflects on our multi‑year journey toward that goal, spanning hardware miniaturisation, multi‑probe imaging, AI‑driven reconstruction, and early applications. Translating this vision into reality has proven extremely complex, with major challenges including: identifying hardware capable of balancing size, power, bandwidth, and image quality; maintaining consistent probe contact; developing beamforming strategies to generate clinically meaningful images from a complex three‑dimensional distribution of probes (often during motion...); automating interpretation in diagnostically reliable ways; and navigating validation, regulation, and clinical accountability. These constraints have shaped every design decision and help explain why wearable ultrasound currently remains largely experimental. This presentation offers a realistic view of where the field stands, what has been learned, and what must change for wearable imaging to move from prototypes to impact.

In this lecture I will share with you my recent experience of being called as an expert witness in a criminal trial. I will share the impact my involvement had on the outcome, what I learned and what I would do differently if I was approached again. You may never be called as an expert witness but as litigation becomes more prevalent, sonographers may be called as expert witnesses more frequently in the future.

This presentation provides an overview of Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) -the headquarters and operation base for the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT). Established in 2004 following Darwin’s response to the 2002 Bali bombings, the federally funded NCCTRC has evolved into a key component of the Australian Government’s preparedness and response to sudden onset disasters and other health emergencies, both nationally and internationally.

AUSMAT is a multidisciplinary, rapidly deployable World Health Organization (WHO) verified Emergency Medical Team (EMT) with a broad span of medical and logistic capabilities. Designed to operate in austere environments, AUSMAT delivers high-quality, self-sufficient medical care when local health systems are overwhelmed. Deployments span sudden onset disasters, disease outbreaks, and humanitarian crises.

NCCTRC-AUSMAT capability encompasses coordination, training, logistics, and a nationally maintained workforce, ensuring a constant state of readiness and rapid deployment when requested by the Australian Government.

The presentation will explore AUSMAT’s operational structure, clinical scope, and deployment history, highlighting key lessons learned and its critical role in strengthening Australia’s capacity to respond effectively to complex health emergencies.