Community & Business
3 February, 2025
New doctors arrive at Oakey district practice
Three new doctors from North America have arrived on the Downs for their placement this year in the Oakey district.
The three new General Practitioners are Dr Kavi Ratnaweera (Canada), Dr Paras Dadiala (Canada), Dr Michelle McWann (United States of America).
Opportunity to practice has brought the trio to Australia.
The Canadian doctors said their home province of British Columbia only had one medical school compared with Queensland’s five. How handy for us, considering our shortage of GPs.
Amazingly, despite growing up 15 minutes away from each other in the city of Vancouver, Dr Kavi and Dr Paras had not met each other before moving here.
Dr Kavi
Dr Kavi was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Canada, where he studied and attained a degree in pathology and diploma in business at the University of British Columbia.
He then moved to Australia in 2019 to attain his medical degree at Griffith University on the Gold Coast and subsequently completed two years of hospital training in North Queensland at Townsville University Hospital.
This experience allowed a breadth of clinical foundational knowledge by working across specialties including emergency, pediatrics, respiratory, rehabilitation, cardiology, and general medicine.
Outside of work, Dr Kavi enjoys traveling and has a goal of visiting all seven continents, having already explored five.
Dr Paras
Dr Paras had an unconventional path to medicine, as he first gained work experience in diverse fields such as the arts, trades, science, and commerce before earning a biochemistry degree from the University of British Columbia.
In 2019, Dr Paras moved to Australia with his partner, where he completed his medical degree at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.
He then trained under Queensland Health, spending two years at Townsville University Hospital, where he honed his skills in general medicine, paediatrics, emergency medicine, cardiology, palliative care, rheumatology, and general surgery.
He also spent time working at Ingham Hospital which further deepened his understanding of the challenges faced by smaller healthcare communities with limited resources.
In his personal time, he likes to stay active through boxing, hiking, and soccer, while he also enjoys cooking, music, and watching movies with his partner.
Dr Paras looks forward to new experiences and temperate weather in the Toowoomba region, and contributing to the community’s health care needs at Ochre Medical Centre.
Dr Michelle
Dr Michelle, who hails from California, spent two years in India before travelling to Australia.
She worked at Brisbane’s QEII Hospital, before doing some private clinical work.
Fluent in English, Gujarati, and Hindi, Dr Michelle brings a personal touch to her practice, connecting with diverse communities across the globe.
With a deep interest in chronic disease management and alternative therapies, she has a modern medical approach to address long-term health challenges. Guided by the World Health Organization’s definition of health as “a state of physical, mental, and social well-being,” she is dedicated to helping her patients achieve holistic health.
As she works towards becoming a General Practitioner with a special focus on chronic conditions, Dr Michelle is passionate about supporting her patients to live their healthiest, happiest lives.
Dr Michelle used to have many hobbies, but being a mum now takes up much of her time outside of work!
She lives on the Gold Coast, and will commute from there for her two days of work with Ochre.
Dr Kavi will be at the Oakey clinic, Monday to Tuesday and at the Kingsthorpe Clinic, Thursday to Friday each week.
Dr Paras will be working at the Oakey clinic Tuesday to Friday each week.
Dr Michelle will be working at Kingsthorpe on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Make sure to give our new GPs a friendly Aussie welcome if you meet them at work or out and about!
