Life as a Doctor Aboard the DLV2000 – by Dr. Mark When most people picture a locum medical job, they think dusty country hospitals or tropical island clinics. But for Dr. Mark, locuming has meant something entirely different this time... working 600km north of Broome on a giant floating construction site in the Timor Sea. Enter the DLV2000: part ship, part building site, part offshore medical outpost. It's a beast of a vessel, 182 metres long, 39 metres wide, with its own helideck, heavy-lift cranes, industrial workers in hi-vis, and one solo doctor on board for 28 days at a time. That doctor just happens to be Mark. From emergency med training to inspecting the ship’s galley with the captain (yes, really), Mark gives us a candid look into what life’s really like offshore. The routine, the downtime, the food (spoiler: it’s very good), and the kind of clinical presentations you’ll see when you’re hundreds of kilometres from land with nothing but ocean around you. Curious what it takes to be a ship’s doctor? Wondering if it’s worth the pay and adventure? Or just want to see what “remote medicine” truly means? Mark’s got you covered. Let’s dive in...