Meet Cam McFarlane: Mobile Patient Care

Hi Cam! Please introduce yourself to our extended Flying Doctor community.

Hi! My name is Cam and  I am an employee of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria (RFDS), I currently live in Wodonga on the border of NSW and Vic. I am an Ambulance Transport Attendant (ATA) with the RFDS and have worked out of Wodonga since its conception in early January 2017. I am also the proud father of 3 children: Fletcher age 8, Hartley age 3 and Theodore age 12 months.

What does a “typical day” in your role with the RFDS look like?

A typical day working from Wodonga can send us across both states (NSW and Vic), and in the almost four years I have regularly visited (by road) Eden, Sale, Griffith, Orange, Melbourne and Sydney with a range of patient conditions requiring either swift treatment or a return from scheduled appointments.

Prior to working with the RFDS, what kind of training/prior work were you doing?

Prior to working at the RFDS I had worked as a baker and bartender. I have since completed a Diploma in Paramedical Science.

What’s the best part of your job?  

I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories, ranging from a newborn returning home who weighs less than 1kg, to a 104 year old whom was worried about how to obtain a disability parking permit. Every patient has a story and needs a listening ear.

We’d love to know a bit about your other job – being a dad to Fletcher, Hartley and Theo. How did becoming a dad change your life?

Being a father is amazing and exhausting at the same time, some days you do school drop off barely able to open your eyes, and other days you are teaching them to fish for the first time, or with my eldest teaching him things about the solar system you never knew.

What piece of advice would you give to expectant fathers this Fathers’ Day?

For expectant fathers they should know that there is no instructions and you will have some challenging days, but the rewards and experiences make up for those days 10 fold.

Lastly, how are you planning to celebrate Fathers’ Day this weekend?

This Fathers’ Day we will probably spend it at home due to Covid-19 throwing “a spanner in the works” - possibly with a walk and maybe a movie.