Meet a Member – Dr Matt Young OAM

Dr Young’s extensive resume speaks for itself. With medical accreditations spanning GP work, university lecturing, column writing and radio presenting, his dedication to community is amplified through his passion for local sporting clubs, mental health, and equitable access to healthcare.

For Dr Young, receiving the news he would be receiving an OAM was certainly an honour, but considers working with his best mate to deliver Hepatitis C healthcare services to marginalised communities the highlight of his career.

“I've really enjoyed working with my mate [Dr] Jossy O'Loan and our team with the Hep C Kombi Clinic over the last seven years,” Dr Young said.

“We work on a pretty skinny margin. Most of the work that we do with the Hep C Kombi is funded by charitable donations including some windfalls we've had from the state government.

“The great thing about Hepatitis C is that it's unbelievably easy to treat and cure. The fundamental problem is that people who aren't accessing mainstream medical services on a regular basis don't get diagnosed, and they miss out on lifesaving medication.

“We've got a setup where people can turn up unannounced, no appointment required, have a finger prick test, and an hour later we can tell them if they've got Hep C and provide them with a script that's going to cure them.

“It's a shocking disease and it impacts people that are marginalised and aren’t in a position to have the luxury of worrying about their own health. The thrill of telling these people they’re cured of Hep C has been an absolute highlight.”

A true sports enthusiast at heart, Dr Young extends his team spirit beyond the field, treating both his patients and colleagues as valued team mates, and approaching every task as a chance to learn.

“At Medeco, our clinic in Inala, we've got a great bunch of people. The doctors, the team at the desk, the nurses – it feels like a sporting team where you've got each other's back,” he said.

“I also just love dealing with young doctors. We always have medical students and registrars out at our practice, and to see medicine through the eyes of young people who still have that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, youthful enthusiasm keeps me young, keeps me invigorated, keeps me turning up for work every day.

“I've done a few unique things in medicine as well. I was Souths Rugby doctor for quite a while, and I really loved being part of a sporting club that's all about mateship and fraternity.

“I've had a fun time in medicine. Being a doctor, you meet some fantastic people as colleagues who really give you a fair inspiration. They give you a laugh, they back you, they support you, they make you see life in a whole more positive way.”

Dr Young’s unwavering passion for his profession and community has made him the exceptional doctor he is today. While he thrives in his professional life, he's just as enthusiastic about nurturing personal passions and interests outside of the workplace.

Between playing cricket as captain of the mighty Ned Flanders Cricket Club and studying towards an art history degree, Dr Young certainly knows how to keep himself busy.

“I think too many people define themselves by their careers; I'd much rather define myself by my family, my friends, and my hobbies and my passions,” he said.

“I really love being part of a sporting club. I've played cricket all my life – I've just got to have that team feeling.

“Being associated with Souths Rugby was a real treat and an honour, and I miss it. I stopped doing that because I coach cricket now and was finding the overlap between seasons was getting too much. But I have still got a very soft spot for the mighty, mighty South Magpies.”

More than 10 years ago, AMA Queensland recognised Dr Young’s exceptional passion for medicine, inviting him to be a regular contributor to Doctor Q magazine. True to his character, he quickly accepted, and has since consistently delivered nothing short of outstanding contributions.

“I joined the AMA fairly flippantly, but it's been a really positive thing,” he said.

“Writing for the Doctor Q magazine and reflecting on medical life has made me think a lot about the balance of life and how a lot of doctors end up in that situation where their mental health is smashed.

“In the last 18 months, I've kicked off a group called the Medical Culture Club, where we get a group of doctors together and we go and do something cultural as a way to relax outside of medicine, have a yarn, a laugh, a bit of catharsis, and a bit of moral support.”

During the last decade, we've come to know Dr Young as a member of the AMA, a dedicated GP, and an all-round outstanding individual. His work has made tangible, positive health impacts to vulnerable members of our community, and we are privileged to be able to support and work with him as an AMA member.