Road to recovery: How a Sydney GP is shaping addiction medicine
To mark GPRA’s 25th anniversary, GPRA members can save 25 per cent on CCIM 2026 tickets with the code GPRA25. Get your discounted tickets.
Dr Chris Davis’ medical career didn’t begin in a practice or hospital, but on an oil rig in the North Sea, off the east coast of Scotland.
“Before I was a GP, I worked as a cleaner on an oil rig and spent most of my time shadowing the rig medic, learning skills I’d never have picked up in a hospital,” said the Sydney GP.
“That sense of feeling ‘off the map’ has stuck with me throughout my career.”
It was these early experiences that helped shape Chris’ career in general practice and gave him the courage to do things differently as he pursued his interest in addiction medicine.
He will speak alongside Dr Eugene Wong and Dr Sarah Lord in a panel session titled ‘Uncharted: Building an Adventurous Career in Medicine’ at CCIM2026, which will take place on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from 4 to 5 September.
General practice ‘the ultimate freedom’
Chris is now dually trained as an addiction medicine specialist and working at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.
He believes general practice has given him the ultimate freedom in medicine.
“Every specialty I encountered, I fell in love with: cardiology, endocrinology, paediatrics, sexual health, palliative care – the list goes on,” said Chris.
“The thought of having to close the door on any one of those was hard. General practice meant I never had to. It let me stay fluid with my interests, instead of committing to just one.”
General practice also gave Chris the freedom to travel, to emigrate to Australia and to build his own business.
“Most importantly, it gave me the freedom to go where the need was greatest and follow my real passion: improving access to care for people suffering because of drugs, alcohol and trauma,” he said.
“Without being a GP, Clean Slate would never have gotten off the ground.”
Clean Slate is a social enterprise with the mission of reducing health inequity and improving access to alcohol and other drug treatment across every state and territory in Australia and now also in the UK.
The importance of self care as a practitioner
Chris said one of the most important lessons burnout taught him was understanding his own window of tolerance and the importance of self-reflection and self-care.
“If I’m not looking after myself, that window closes and I can’t show up for my patients the way I should,” said Chris.
“It also took me years to learn the difference between empathy and compassion.
“I used to pride myself on jumping into the cage with my patients, feeling what they felt, living what they lived – that’s partly what led to burnout.
“These days, I believe I can be a better GP through compassion, without needing to climb into the cage with someone. I no longer need to carry their pain to help them.”
Managing addiction in community
While Chris believes GPs play a critical role in managing addiction, he cautioned against adding further pressure without providing the correct tools.
“GPs are constantly told we’re best placed to manage almost everything,” he said. “Understandably, that makes us bristle given we’re time poor as it is.
“But addiction isn’t something we can opt out of – one in three Australians drinks at risky levels. That’s an extraordinary prevalence, and yet screening rates remain low.
“We simply don’t ask people about their drinking often enough.”
Chris cited the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) 5As framework – Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange – as the best place to start.
“We need to upskill so we can give good advice and know our referral pathways properly,” he said.
“And if we’re prescribing something, it’s absolutely our responsibility to know how to deprescribe it too.”
Building an adventurous career
Chris’ advice for his fellow practitioners who want to go off the beaten path? Do it.
“Follow your interests and do what you’re genuinely passionate about,” he said. “That will help keep your window of tolerance open and wide.
“I’ve always had a portfolio career. I think that variety is what’s kept me interested and kept me learning.”
Chris recommends joining special interest groups offered by colleges to network and build knowledge.
He is personally involved in several RACGP groups, including neurodiversity, pain, social prescribing, and, of course, addiction.
“You get a real sense of how other GPs weave these interests into their careers and lives,” he said.
“Ultimately, if you see a problem you think you can solve, even if it feels like it’s off the beaten path, give it a go.
“If I’m not looking after myself, that window closes and I can’t show up for my patients the way I should.”
“Stick to your guns and know you have the freedom and the ability to change direction and find your own path. That’s worth more than any pay packet.”
Running from 4 to 5 September, CCIM 2026: Metamorphosis invites delegates to shed old expectations, challenge inherited narratives and step into what’s next.
To mark GPRA’s 25th anniversary, GPRA members can save 25 per cent on CCIM 2026 tickets with the code GPRA25.
Join us at QT Gold Coast for a conference exploring diverse career pathways in medicine. Get your discounted tickets.
