Julie and I met at a local cafe, both of us eager for our daily caffeine hit, and struck up an easy chat in seconds. It’s not by chance that Julie McMillin, Registered Nurse, holds the highly responsible Clinical Team Leader position at the Skin Centre. She has worked there for 15 years and knows her stuff. She projects that down to earth, forthright manner that I often observe in highly competent nurses. Furthermore, Julie freely admits that she’s now well and truly in her happy place, and doesn’t plan on going anywhere soon.

I asked her what she loved so much about her job; her reply echoed the culture of the Skin Centre and their dedicated staff. “Number one – the team and number two – the patients. It’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?” 

I also asked my favourite question, the one which everyone has to think twice about. “If you could invent one product which could do any one task of your choosing, what would it be?” Julie would love a treatment that gave us a second chance. By that she means, armed with all the information we have now, she wishes we could have a rejuvenation to restore our skin to its original glory. So we could take care of it the way we should have before those dreadful days of baking in the sun with baby oil. There’s a real message there for young people – they have that chance, and it’s so important that they realise it for their future. 

Half an hour in, with not an awkward silence in sight, I imagine you’d feel very safe and relaxed in Julie’s care. On the back of her matte black Harley Davidson parked directly opposite the cafe however? Guess that depends on how risk-averse you are. From my perspective, it’s hard not to fall just a little bit in love with a girl who rides a Harley. It certainly adds another dimension. She and her man frequently tour the countryside on their machines, and when I ask Julie if that is what she thinks her retirement holds, I already know the answer. For now, what she’s looking forward to is a massive tour around the US sometime in the foreseeable future. That and a long, long career in her happy place.