Mikala Dales is the Director of Medical Services at Blackall Hospital.
The country runs deep in Dr Mikala Dales’ blood and there is nowhere else she would rather be living and working.
Dr Dales is now established as a vital cog in the town of Blackall, a 1500-strong community almost 1,000 kilometres north west of Brisbane, where she has recently taken on the role of Director of Medical Services at Blackall Hospital.
Dr Dales grew up on a cattle property in The Gums in south west Queensland, where her parents still live and work, before moving to pursue a career in medicine.
After six years of study at James Cook University in Townsville, the next step was Toowoomba Hospital to continue her training and be closer to family.
From the moment she started studying, she knew she would end up working in a country community, it was just a matter of where.
“I didn’t want to move into a big city,” Dr Dales said.
“I wanted to live as rurally as possible and be somewhere I could do my Rural Generalist training while still being at a big hospital.”
In February 2024, she made the move west to Blackall.
These days, she splits her time between overseeing the operations of Blackall Hospital, while still performing in a clinical capacity, and working at the Blackall General Practice.
As a Rural Generalist, she has trained to become an expert in rural medicine to meet the diverse and unique healthcare needs of Queensland’s rural and remote communities.
No two rural communities are the same, but they face similar barriers to accessing healthcare when compared to their city counterparts including distance to health services, limited infrastructure, social isolation, cultural differences and more.
“(The study) feels like a long time and it feels like such a slog at the time, but it just pays off in the long run,” she said.
“This is a really rewarding job and being in a town like Blackall is such a fulfilling experience.
“It doesn’t need to be the town you grew up in. Becoming a part of this community and getting to know the people just helps reinforce how important this role is.
“I get such a kick when I can see my regular patients. You can feel that you’re actually making a genuine difference in people’s lives in a small town like this.
“Whether that’s seeing their children or helping people at the end of their life. You’re able to provide that care close to home.
“It’s my third year here and people say they’re so grateful they can see the same doctor over and over again.”
Working in the country allows Dr Dales to stay close to her roots and prioritise her love for agriculture when she’s not on shift.
In August last year, she purchased a property between Blackall and Barcaldine where she runs close to 300 steers with another 100 cows and calves on her parents’ breeder block outside of Longreach.
Being able to work the land and spend time in the fresh air around her animals recharges her batteries in what can be a demanding profession.
Dr Dales credits her family for being able to juggle her two passions and said everyone pitches in wherever help is needed.
“You’re using a completely different type of brain power while working on the property,” she said.
“You’re using a completely different set of skills and it gives you a different perspective to what you have at work.
“Health and agricultural throw up very different questions and challenges. It’s just refreshing. Agriculture has always been my break and my outlet.”
As part of a new Queensland Health workforce plan, more than 42,000 extra workers will be hired by 2032 to strengthen the system across the state, with many of these workers needed in regional, rural and remote areas.
There will always be a need for doctors with a passion for regional and rural care and that will only increase in the years ahead.
Dr Dales encouraged country people to pursue a career in healthcare as they possess a valuable perspective that is cherished by rural patients.
She said she had her own doubts at first about becoming a doctor but once she found her feet, she realised she was exactly where she needed to be.
Dr Dales said forging strong connections within the community was the best part of her job.
“I’d love to see more country kids pursue rural medicine,” she said.
“There’s always positions for rural doctors out here.
“It’s quite special when you have someone who has grown up rural and pursued a medical career. It’s tough but it’s so worth it.
“As I have that connection with the agriculture industry, patients are so much more comfortable with me as a doctor because they know I understand where they’re coming from.
“We can talk openly about the weather and the rain. I can relate to them. It’s a great connection.”
For more information about the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway visit here.
Qld Day is an annual celebration, marking the state’s birthday on 6 June.
The search is now on for amazing Queenslanders – those selfless community volunteers, local legends, young achievers, organisation and most importantly, our health heroes. Nominations for Qld Day are open online until 18 May 2026.