“Cardiology appealed to me most because it is
a fascinating mix of the practical and intellectual.
The heart has very clear mechanisms; there are
great therapies that can be performed and clearly
explained. It is hands on and so rewarding when
you perform a physical intervention and cure
someone completely.”
Dr Hunt specialises in electrophysiology,
which explores the electrics of the heart. He
talks me through a condition called ‘flutter’, with
a contagious enthusiasm akin to a kid seeing
fireworks for the first time.
“Flutter is a heart rhythm problem where the
electricity of the heart makes an endless loop
around the tricuspid valve, causing the heart to
race, amongst other symptoms,” he explains.
“When the loop is interrupted by the tiniest of
alterations made by a cardiologist, it cures the
flutter entirely.
“It is fascinating to me that you can just reduce
these problems down to an electrical circuit,
which you can interrupt, and it changes people’s
lives. That part is always amazing - being able to
make a difference in a person’s life, to cure them.
I love that.”
Practicing medicine has taught Dr Hunt
much about life – the universality of the human
condition and the strength of people.
“No matter who you are or what you do, we all
have challenges and problems to overcome but
people always astound me with their resilience
and their strength. Human life can be so fragile,
so it is important to make the most of the
good times. Medicine has also taught me the
importance of hard work and never giving up.”
Important lessons for the father of four (two
girls and two boys, all under the age of eight),
who admits the work life balance of a doctor is
very difficult to achieve, if not impossible.
“I think lots of doctors struggle with this.
Medicine is not nine to five. You have a work
life and a home life and it is very difficult to
incorporate anything else or to even balance those
two. The important thing is to be present - really
present - in the times you do have with your family
and being active with them when you can.”
It was the importance of family and the Gold
Coast weather and lifestyle that drew Dr Hunt and
his family back to the Coast to begin his practice
here after a couple of years working in Canada.
So what does a perfect Gold Coast day look like
for a cardiologist, when the pressures of medicine
are far behind him?
“We would wake up early and make pancakes
for breakfast with the kids before going out and
doing something fun like going to the beach or up
to Natural Arch. We’d have a nice lunch together
before off-loading the kids on someone and
heading out somewhere amazing for dinner with
just my wife.”
However his love of fine food would be
surpassed by his love of life if he ever found
himself on death row. When asked what his last
meal would be Dr Hunt responded that he'd
request a sausage roll filled with money to bribe
the guards so he could escape.
Dr Hunt also revealed that he has an eclectic
range of reading material on his bedside table
including a copy of medical journal Heart
Rhythm, and Grug – a beloved Australian
children’s book. The last film he saw at the
movies was Lego Batman (which he enjoyed
immensely) and the most played artists on
his iPod are Counting Crows, Gotye, Bernard
Fanning, and Boy and Bear.
His taste for various forms of rock music
also uncovered a secret talent of playing guitar
and even making his own, which by his own
admission was quite astounding.
“I have played since I was a kid. Someone just
gave me a guitar one day out of the blue and it
was one of those small moments that change your
life. I just picked it up and have played ever since
then.”
Life changing moments are what Dr Hunt
aspires to in the future. Making a difference in
people’s lives by giving them the right advice,
performing great procedures at the right time and
achieving excellent outcomes for his patients now
and into the future – this is what matters to him
most.
“There is so much more to be realised in
cardiology and medicine. Discoveries and
developments are constantly evolving and there
is so much more to learn and so much more to
achieve,” he says.
We think that the hearts of the Gold Coast are in
good hands with Dr Hunt.
2017
pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 17