Andrew Whitcombe

Associate Professor Andrew 'Doogie' Whitcombe serves in the University of Queensland Medical School as Director of the Rural Clinical School Toowoomba and Head of the Toowoomba Regional Clinical Unit. He earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science from the University of Leicester, a Masters (Coursework) in Clinical Education from Edge Hill University, and holds qualifications from the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Whitcombe relocated to Australia from the United Kingdom, where he held significant roles in medical education and clinical practice. In Manchester, he acted as Clinical Lead for simulation, overseeing the creation of two dedicated simulation spaces and serving as course director for numerous simulation courses. He also functioned as Foundation Programme Director, managing newly qualified doctors across multiple NHS trust sites and handling strategic responsibilities. Upon arriving in Australia, he completed his Master's degree in clinical education and joined Toowoomba Base Hospital as a Staff Specialist Anaesthetist in 2017. In February 2021, he assumed the position of Director of the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School Toowoomba, succeeding Dr George Tucker following a handover period.

Whitcombe's scholarly contributions focus on medical education and clinical practice, particularly in rural contexts. He is a co-author on key publications, including 'Cesarean delivery in Queensland, Australia—a retrospective study of factors associated with primary and secondary general anesthesia' published in Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica in 2025, 'A national investigation on the impact of rurality on standardised clinical aptitude test performance' in Medical Teacher in 2026, and 'A comparison of multiple-use and single-use bougies' in Anaesthesia in 2005. He has secured research funding through the UCAT-ANZ Consortium Research Grant for 'Widening access - unpacking rural disadvantage to identify support strategies to increase medicine applicants from rural school-leavers' (2025-2026) and the Monash University grant for 'Differences in UCAT ANZ performance between rural and metropolitan medical school applicants: A national investigation' (2023-2024). His professional interests include inter-professional learning and supporting medical students during rural placements, informed by his hands-on teaching and managerial experience.

Professional Email: d.whitcombe@uq.edu.au