Dr Sione Akauola’s journey to ACRRM Fellowship began in one of the world’s most remote locations - a small island in Tonga where he served as the sole doctor for a community of 1500 people. With limited resources and isolation from tertiary care, he ran a five-bed health centre and managed emergencies alone for an entire year. 

“There were no flights, and the only link to the main hospital was a ferry that came every three months,” Dr Akauola recalls. “Electricity was scarce. “Our health centre relied on a diesel generator, and at home I used a kerosene lamp to study and cook.” 

After migrating to Australia, Dr Akauola faced new challenges as an International Medical Graduate, including navigating licensing exams and adapting to a new health system. He credits ACRRM’s Fellowship program for supporting his transition and transforming his career. 

Now an ACRRM Fellow, Dr Akauola provides anaesthesia, emergency, and general practice services in rural, remote, and First Nations communities. “One moment I might be performing a spinal for a caesarean, the next resuscitating a critically ill patient or planning long-term care in general practice,” he says. 

He describes ACRRM’s training model as both rigorous and rewarding. “It equips you with the right skills to serve the people who need you most.”  

Dr Akauola is now embarking on a project close to his heart - establishing a solo private clinic on Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu. With a population of around 70,000 and limited access to care, he will provide part-time, fly-in-fly-out services to help meet local health needs. “This is my way of giving back—of continuing the cycle of care that began on those remote islands.”

He remains deeply grateful for the support of his educators, training officer, and family—both in Australia and Tonga.

“This Fellowship changed my life. I want others in the Pacific to have the same opportunity.”