Few people have the physical skill required to play professional football. 

Even fewer have the technical ability and stamina needed to progress on a pathway to surgical training. 

Combining both paths? Almost unheard of.

Dr Caitlin Reid is doing exactly that. She is a surgical resident medical officer at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, and she is playing professional Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) for the Sydney Swans. 

The combination is gruelling, but she is proving a love of sport and a commitment to medicine can exist together.

A dual path begins
Dr Reid always planned to work in healthcare, and she always knew she would play sport. What she did not expect was that COVID-19 would introduce her to AFL. 

She was a basketball player while studying at UNSW, until the pandemic paused competitions and she had to look for something to fill the gap. She joined an AFL Nines team.  

Her height and athletic ability were quickly noticed, and teammates encouraged her to try full contact AFL. By the time basketball resumed she had already found a new sporting passion. 

That she is now on a pathway towards surgical training was also unexpected. During her early years of medical school, she was not thinking about surgery. Everything changed in her fifth year when she started her surgical rotation and realised that surgery suited the way she likes to work.  

“I like things that you can practise and see improve. When you watch someone who is really good in theatre it is inspiring. It is similar to watching elite sport. Both require time and effort. I also like that surgery involves solving a real and tangible problem,” she says.  

The juggling act
Throughout medical school and into her early clinical years Dr Reid continued to play AFL at an increasingly high level. She moved between Canberra and Sydney as rotations changed but continued to play AFL as much as she could. 

Her persistence paid off when she received a call from the Sydney Swans AFLW team. She accepted, and suddenly her two worlds were sitting side by side. 

Making it work
Pursuing both careers involves a careful balance of rosters, training blocks and recovery. 

During the AFLW season she spends two or three full days each week at football. Other days involve double hospital shifts. 

Rest days are rare, which means she must protect her time away from both responsibilities. She sleeps as much as possible and eats with intention. Every small decision affects both careers.

“If you commit to both, you need to support that choice in every part of your day,” she says.

Two disciplines, one mindset
The lessons from medicine and football strengthen each other. AFLW builds resilience and a willingness to accept constructive feedback. Her medical career teaches calm thinking under pressure, clear communication and teamwork. These skills transfer readily to the field. She feels each environment makes her stronger in the other.

Good medicine
Dr Reid understands that her time as an AFLW player has limits. Her long-term future is in surgery, and she hopes to still be in the operating theatre many years from now. 

For the moment, she has a firm focus on her commitment to the Sydney Swans and she is grateful that St Vincent’s makes allowances for her sports schedule. 

She knows it’s a juggle, but she wants others to see it is possible to be the best in sport and medicine. 
“Having interests outside medicine makes us better doctors. To be a good surgeon you need to remain a whole person,” she says.