Ochre Medical Centre, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
New GP with Ochre Medical Centre Cohuna, Dr Gilda Geranmayeh, is delighted to finally be here. Originally from Iran, Dr Geranmayeh spent four years of her childhood in Adelaide while her father completed a PhD in geochemistry and she has been keen to return ever since.
“It has always been a dream to come back to Australia and settle down here,” she says. “So, after medical school, I worked hard to gain experience and complete the additional exams required – and now I’m back in my dream land again.”
But it hasn’t been the simplest of journeys. Like many people over the past few years of COVID-19, Dr Geranmayeh’s original plans were disrupted. “I spent three months in Melbourne in 2019, completing some workshops and getting familiar with the Australian health system by observing in clinics and nursing homes. I wanted to make a permanent move a few months later, but then the pandemic started.”
Dr Geranmayeh was interested in becoming a doctor as far back as she can remember. “When I was a child, if my dolls weren’t having chicken pox, they were having surgery!” she says. “I was raised in a family full of doctors. One of my uncles is a surgeon and I remember him talking about his work. Once I went with him to his office. I was only about five years old at the time, but I found it so interesting.”
Dr Geranmayeh particularly enjoys caring for children. As an intern, she chose to spend an extra month in paediatrics because she liked the area so much. She also has a focus on women’s health and older patients, and she is interested in learning more about skin medicine. “Unlike Iran, there are many skin conditions in Australia. You see many lesions and cancers, and there are a variety of ways to approach treating them, which I find fascinating.”
While she was happy to move to Australia, Dr Geranmayeh was also sad to leave Iran. “When the time came to leave, it was particularly hard telling my patients and transferring their care to another doctor.”
There are always challenges with settling into a new country, but Dr Geranmayeh says her experience has been very positive so far. “The people here are so nice; they’ve been so friendly and welcoming! And, the Ochre team have been amazing – they met me in Melbourne and came with me to Cohuna for the first time. They found me a house and a car. Those are the first things you need to settle down in a new country and it can be difficult if you have no friends or family! I’m really thankful for them and their support.”
Away from work, Dr Geranmayeh enjoys sport. “I love walking and I’m really looking forward to that here, as Cohuna has such a beautiful natural environment. I would also like to experience some of the summer activities on offer in the area, like water skiing, golf and fishing. In Tehran, we didn’t have the sea or a river, so to go fishing required travel.”
Dr Geranmayeh is accepting new patients at Ochre Medical Centre Cohuna. Bookings can be made via ochrehealth.com.au or by calling the practice on 5456 2609.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 8 December 2022.
