Rotorua: Dr Shawn Gielen-Relph on his career and becoming an emergency medicine physician

Born and raised in Rotorua, Dr Shawn Gielen-Relph is an emergency medicine physician in Melbourne, Australia.

Rotorua’s Dr Shawn Gielen-Relph knew by 15 he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Now living in Melbourne, the 34-year-old has recently marked his “penultimate achievement”. He tells high school students considering a medical career to “work hard, give it everything you’ve got, and you can do it”.

For about 18 months, Dr Shawn Gielen-Relph was working and studying for 80 hours per week.

The Melbourne-based emergency medicine physician was studying to pass the two-part examination to become a Fellow of the Australasian College of Emergency Management (Facem).

Preparing for the fellowship examination was “non-stop slog just studying on top of working”.

The examinations – one written and one clinical scenario assessment – could cover “anything” considered an emergency.

“It’s such a big exam, it’s hard to describe ... You have to have such a breadth of knowledge.”

Last year, Gielen-Relph received his letters as a Facem.

“That marks the penultimate achievement for me in my life ...

“There’s other parts of your life, and I think you still have to say your number one achievement’s like meeting the love of my life and having a beautiful son.”

His graduation ceremony was on the Gold Coast in November.

“All my family were around to kind of celebrate that achievement.”

From the sports fields to emergency rooms

Born and raised in Rotorua, Gielen-Relph said his childhood GP was “always really encouraging of me” to do medicine and gave him advice.

As a teenager, he enjoyed studying the sciences and wanted to help people.

Gielen-Relph was a 2009 graduate and prefect of John Paul College.

Of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga descent, he was the captain of the college’s water polo team and represented Rotorua and Bay of Plenty in the pool.

He was also a member of the college’s first XV rugby team and first XI hockey and cricket teams.

In 2010, Gielen-Relph began a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Otago.

He played rugby and rugby league at university and represented New Zealand in the 2013 Universities Rugby League World Cup.

Gielen-Relph returned home to work at Rotorua Hospital after graduating at the end of 2015, where he mostly worked until moving to Australia in 2022.

During that time, he worked at Mt Ruapehu’s urgent care clinics.

Initially, Gielen-Relph said he wanted to be an orthopaedic surgeon and did his primary surgical examinations. After finishing, he wanted to take a break and do something different.

He intended to work for six months in Mt Ruapehu.

But while he was there, he ”fell in love with that type of work" more than surgery.

He said it was a “fun job” where he found “my people”, including the “adventurous” type who enjoyed skiing and climbing.

Gielen-Relph switched from orthopaedics to emergency medicine and completed the necessary training.

Born and raised in Rotorua, Dr Shawn Gielen-Relph is an emergency medicine physician in Melbourne, Australia.

While he was working in Hamilton’s emergency department, Gielen-Relph was offered a job at the “prestigious” Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, renowned as Australasia’s leading trauma hospital.

He and his wife, Caitlin, moved to Melbourne at the start of 2022.

“For the next five years at least, I think we’re settled here.

“I’ve always loved the idea of coming home, but I guess it just depends on how circumstances are for us.

“We bought a house over here and the work for me at the moment – I’ve just got so many opportunities ... ”

If he did return home, he would have more knowledge and “more to offer”, he said.

He said New Zealand and Australia had “amazing emergency physicians”.

In his spare time, he went mountain biking, surfed, and played golf. He was also in a band.

He and Caitlin have also just had a son, Ronan, who is 3 months old.

“We try and come back [to Rotorua] as much as we can, especially now with Ronan ... you want him to be around his family and the place that he’s really from.”

The privilege of a medical career

Gielen-Relph encouraged high school students who were considering a medical career to “do it”.

“I think a career in medicine is such a privileged career ... you get the opportunity to try all these different specialties, and the world of medicine is so broad that you can just about do anything.”

Not worrying about having a job or earning money was also a privilege, as well as helping people “in their most vulnerable time”.

He said he was a testament that it was achievable.

“I think that more than anything, it’s hard work and that dedication to it that would be what pushes you through.

“Work hard, give it everything you’ve got, and you can do it.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.