This is a brief biography and C.V. for David Bird
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CFS. ME. Fibro. Q and A
Basics
of a Healthy Lifestyle
Chronic
Fatigue. Burnout Stress
Muscle Pain and Cramps
Clinic
Glyco-nutrient recipes
Sabbath Delight!
Sanctuary Book
Spiritual Burnout
I have written this due to the questions that have come my way from time to time about qualifications etc. Anything good in my life is because of God’s grace. I take full responsibility for all that is wrong!
My registration as an Australian Medical Practitioner can
be checked on the register at http://www.ahpra.gov.au.
Born in England in 1965. Moved to New Zealand in 1974. In 1990 graduated from
Auckland University with the standard Medical Degree of Bachelor of Medicine and
Surgery (MBChB, equivalent of Australian MBBS or United States MD).
In 1983 and part of 1984 I took 14 months off from regular university study in order to work at a live-in facility rehabilitating long-term psychiatric patients in an effort to get them out of the hospitals into more of a community type environment. I also worked for a few months over one summer holiday as a nurse-aide in a geriatric ward. In 1989 I spent ten weeks at a 120-bed mission hospital in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. This hospital only had one or two resident doctors there during his stay, and it was a very busy time.
After doing a one year internship at a rural base hospital in New Zealand, I completed a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the same hospital. After this I worked in a busy wholistic General Practice in rural New Zealand for six years. In 1994 the other doctor working at the practice came down with chronic fatigue syndrome and had to take the entire year off from work. This left me covering the practice on my own and doing most of the after-hours care. I nearly got burnt out at this time, but thankfully this did not quite happen.
In 1996 gained a fellowship with the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine after attending their course and sitting their exam. In 1997 completed a Diploma in Nutritional Medicine from the International Academy of Nutrition.
In 1999 I and family relocated to Northern NSW, Australia where I did part-time General practice and part-time nutritional medicine with a special focus on chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia until 2005.
In 2000 I had a book published on what I consider is a very under-rated method of preventing burnout, namely the Sabbath. This book is advertised on this site (Sabbath Delight!). A second book, exploring spiritual health was finished in 2005 (The Forgotten Jesus and The Sanctuary Song).
In 2005 I was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
In 2005 we moved to Victoria to head up the medical work at the live-in lifestyle centre at Highwood (www.highwoodhealth.org). I am currently working there part time. I have recently joined the National Institute of Integrative Medicine where I will commence seeing outpatients in 2012 for integrative health care.
Married in 1992 to Lorna. Still very happily married with two children. Interests include theology, hiking, camping, snorkeling, gardening, astronomy, church history, natural history and geography. But do not have enough time to experience them all properly!
I have made plenty of mistakes in my life! A healthy view of life considers it as a pilgrimage or journey. Hopefully I have learnt from my mistakes.