B E Y O N D T H E S C H O O L G AT E S
From International Relations to Intensive Care – Sam Orton (OM 2006) Sam Orton (OM 2006) looks back on his experience at St Michael’s with very fond memories. During his time at School, Sam had many Co-curricular highlights, including being involved with many different Sports teams, participating in School Productions, and leading his peers as Prefect and Co-Captain of the School. “I really enjoyed school. I felt really lucky to be supported by the School community and to have made lifelong friends with a group of diverse students who went on to do a whole range of things.” After School, Sam wasn’t entirely sure where his university studies would take him. “I enjoyed Biology and Chemistry in school, but I thought I’d end up in International Relations, so I did an Arts and Science double degree at Melbourne University”. It wasn’t until Sam picked up an Anatomy subject as an Elective that he found his true passion for medicine, going on to complete a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). Sam now works in the Intensive Care Ward at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, where he lives with his partner and two children. Speaking about what he loves most about his specialisation, Sam says “I love the physiology–the nuts and bolts of how the body works. As I get older, I become more interested in the bigger picture and getting to know people and their families. Each healthcare system exists only in the community that it serves, and it’s a privilege to be a part of an experience with other people that is so unique to every individual who passes through those doors.”
46 | The Crest Issue 6 2021
When reflecting on his experience at St Michael's, Sam is grateful to the School for preparing him and his peers to enter further study and the workforce by allowing students to experience and appreciate a variety of different subjects and Co-curricular activities. “I believe that any potential career path or life goal is accessible from St Michael's. My friends are all over the world doing so many different things. Whether it’s sport, drama, outdoor activities; the School gives you so many different opportunities to figure out what it is that you want to do when you leave. It was because of this environment that I was happy to take a punt on medicine as I could see that the world was bigger than just one subject.” To the current cohort of students at St Michael’s, Sam offers some great advice. “You don’t need to know what you want to do by the end of Year 12. For me, it was really daunting, and I worried a lot about what I was going to do when I left. I found that all the doors opened up once I stopped worrying. One thing that I would say though, is that the current cohort will be a lot more resilient than I was when I was at school. I have a lot of respect for students who have been going through school over the last 2 years.” We thank Sam for his kind and encouraging words, and congratulate him on his fantastic work in the field of Intensive Care Medicine.
