GP Journeys: From Colombo to Ballarat

Dr Aruni De Silva has spent her career pursuing excellence in family medicine. Originally from Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aruni completed her undergraduate studies in 2003, and then chose to specialise in family medicine, completing extensive training in Sri Lanka to achieve her qualifications. She went on to work as a family medicine specialist and senior lecturer, sharing her impeccable knowledge with others.

For most of her life Aruni has lived, worked and studied in Sri Lanka, but she also enjoyed a short stint in the UK as part of her training, and this international experience inspired her to look for overseas employment opportunities.

“Working internationally is an opportunity to enhance my experience in dealing with diverse cultures, diverse medical problems and diverse health systems,” says Aruni.

She chose to seek a GP position in Australia, and originally met with Karen from the DXC Medical team in April 2023, via an online meeting where they discussed Aruni’s Australian ambitions and impressive professional training.

At this point Aruni had spoken with other recruiters but was keen to find work in a practice that aligned with her values and met the lifestyle and education requirements of her family.

With support from DXC Medical, Aruni obtained Partial Comparability on the PEP Specialist Stream, and relocated from Colombo to Ballarat in late November 2023, commencing her GP role with the UFS team in Ballarat in February 2024.

As someone with a family herself, Aruni appreciates the family-friendly hours of general practice medicine, and the ability to work with families on their ongoing medical needs. She and her younger son have moved to Ballarat together, where he is now enrolled at a local school, while her husband and eldest son are still in Colombo, as he is about to finish his schooling. But the long term plan is for the family to live together in Ballarat.

Speaking about her new life in Ballarat, Aruni points out the calm pace and extensive space of the regional city, especially in comparison to the congestion of Colombo.

“It’s a really spacious city, very easy to drive around and get to everywhere you need to, and it has great facilities and schools, everything we need. We’ve also enjoyed exploring the local area, visiting the beautiful botanical gardens and lake,” says Aruni.

Working with Karen Bowden at DXC Medical meant Aruni’s journey to her Australian GP role was straightforward, and she remains grateful for the support she’s received.

There was a lot of work required to get here, but Karen is so knowledgeable and always took the time to keep me updated and to answer any questions I had along the way.

“It was also so much easier to have Karen here on the ground to liaise with potential employers, and she took the time to understand the kind of practice I was hoping for. I’m so happy with the medical centre she’s found for me, everyone on the DXC Medical team is so supportive and helpful.”

Aruni is excited to build her career in Ballarat and establish herself as a local practitioner, and looking ahead hopes to continue her professional development as opportunities arise.

We wish Aruni and her family all the best with their new life in Ballarat, and we look forward to working with other doctors who are keen to find rewarding professional placements in rural and regional Australia.

If you’re considering a new GP role, our Vacancy Map and Search Jobs functions allow you to filter our jobs by location, training pathway, keyword and job type.

For more information on anything included in this blog, please contact:

Darren Compton

0405 234 852

darren.compton@dxcmedical.com.au