It鈥檚听7am on a Wednesday morning and听Henco听is on the train, heading to the听Fiona Stanley听hospital in听Perth听where he works as an Infectious Diseases Advanced Trainee. By mid-morning he will听have reviewed听in-patients with advanced HIV听and opportunistic infections, tuberculosis, and returned travellers presenting with fevers. Later that听day听he鈥檒l听see inpatient consults with complicated infections including infective endocarditis and infections in organ transplant recipients before moving to clinic to care for patients with diabetes-related foot disease and other bone and joint infections.听听
It鈥檚听demanding, intellectually rigorous work 鈥� but for听Henco, it is also extremely valuable and rewarding. 鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate to work closely with esteemed clinicians and researchers,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd to lead multiple investigator-initiated trials while also contributing to large, practice-changing international studies.鈥澨�听
Working across several听infectious听diseases departments in Western Australia has also given him something less tangible, but equally important:听a strong sense听of belonging to a broader professional community united by shared values and a common purpose.听
Henco听moved to Perth from South Africa in 2020听where he听completed听his basic physician training. He went on to undertake dual subspecialty training in infectious diseases and general medicine 鈥� a path shaped by his early experiences as a junior doctor in regional hospitals in South Africa.听His interest in infectious diseases began there, caring for vulnerable patients with complex health challenges.听
鈥淢anaging patients from incredibly poor backgrounds with advanced HIV, multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, postpartum sepsis, and children with severe malnutrition and complicated infections 鈥� I saw first-hand how infectious diseases intersect with injustice and health disparities,鈥澨鼿enco听recalls. 鈥淚nfectious diseases physicians have a unique opportunity to advocate for some of the most underrepresented patient populations.鈥�听
Henco听grew up in听Bloemfontein, a small city in central South Africa, where he completed his undergraduate medical degree. From early on, he was driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in people鈥檚 lives.听鈥淭hroughout my career, I鈥檝e been fortunate to work with physicians who demonstrate a relentless commitment to caring for and advocating for their patients,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e听continuously reminded me why I became a doctor in the first place.听Medicine brings together science, problem-solving,听compassion听and lifelong learning 鈥� and that still inspires me.鈥�听
Working overseas had always been part of听Henco鈥檚听plan. He wanted exposure to diverse patient populations and opportunities to grow his clinical and research skills.听鈥淎ustralia appealed to me because of its high clinical standards, strong training pathways and focus on evidence-based, patient-centred care,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y wife and I first visited听Perth听in 2015听and immediately felt connected to the culture and lifestyle.鈥�听
While completing his听medical听internship in South Africa,听Henco听embarked on the听standard pathway听to听registration and working in Australia.听
鈥淭he process was thorough and challenging but also exciting,鈥� he said.听鈥淚 completed 糖心传媒 examinations while working 60-hour weeks in understaffed regional hospitals in South Africa.听The biggest challenges were finding time and saving enough money to cover the costs.鈥�听
At the time, there were no听Multiple-Choice Question听Examination centres in South Africa, so听Henco听flew to听Perth听to sit the exam.听The following year, after passing听the MCQ exam, he travelled again 鈥� this time to Melbourne 鈥斕齮o sit听the clinical examination.听
Henco听approached听exam听preparation with a structured long-term study plan that emphasised Australian clinical guidelines and clinical reasoning rather than rote memorisation.听He听relied heavily on听糖心传媒听handbooks, supplementing them with听additional听reading on commonly examined conditions,听medications听and management approaches. Online question banks and discussion groups with other international medical graduates also proved invaluable.听
Despite the intensity,听Henco听believes the preparation strengthened him as a clinician 鈥� not only for Australia, but in South Africa as well.听
鈥淭he exams are generalist by design. You revise across multiple specialties, which mirrored the reality of my work in South Africa, where I was managing a broad range of conditions,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚 also appreciated the holistic nature of the exams. They focus strongly on patient-centred, individualised care. That aligned well with how I practise.鈥�听
Throughout the process, he credits the steady support of his wife.听鈥淓motional support 鈥� whether from partners,听friends听or family 鈥� is essential. I encourage future candidates to lean on the people closest to them.鈥�听
Today,听Henco听thrives on the intellectual challenges of infectious diseases and the opportunity to integrate patient care with research. He sees听Western听Australia as an exceptional place to train, offering diverse clinical settings and patient populations.听
With听particular interests听in听the gut microbiome,听transplant infectious听diseases听and musculoskeletal infections,听Henco听hopes to improve patient-centred outcomes through research and holistic care.听鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate to interact with colleagues and patients from many different backgrounds,鈥� he says.听鈥淚t鈥檚 broadened my understanding of what it means to be a good doctor 鈥� and ultimately, a good human being.鈥�听
Those experiences have reinforced听for him听the importance of tailoring care to each individual patient.听鈥淲e must remain focused on our patients鈥� values and goals. Every patient encounter is an opportunity to improve someone鈥檚 quality of life 鈥� however they define that.鈥�听
Now settled in听Perth听with his wife and two young听daughters,听Henco听plans to complete advanced training听in infectious diseases听and pursue a career as a clinician-researcher.听
While the journey to Australia was demanding and at times uncertain, he has no regrets.听鈥淓ven though our relocation听wasn鈥檛听straightforward,听we鈥檝e听never looked back. We would听definitely听do听it听all听over again,鈥澨齢e said.听
Henco听believes international medical graduates enrich Australia鈥檚 healthcare system through their diverse experiences,听resilience听and adaptability. He hopes others considering the journey feel empowered to take the leap.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 challenging,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 absolutely worth it.鈥�
Here to serve: international medical graduates in Australia
This story is part of the series Here to Serve: international medical graduates in Australia.
The series showcases the diverse experiences and contributions of international medical graduates working in Australia.
