Dr Gabe Sanchez never expected psychiatry to become his calling. After training as a pharmacist and pursuing a career in general surgery, he made the difficult decision to change specialties in pursuit of a career that better aligned with his values, family life and long-term goals.

Now a psychiatry registrar at Wagga Base Hospital, Gabe reflects on finding purpose in regional medicine, the rewards of teaching and mentoring, and why choosing rural practice has allowed him to build both the career, and the life, he was searching for.