Freemans Bay Medical Staff

Freemans Bay Medical Centre is a small, friendly practice. We believe it is important to be comfortable and familiar with your medical team, so please read a little about our Doctors below.

Doctors

Dr Christine Forster

MNZM, MBChB, FRNZCGP, PG Dip. Prof Ethics

Christine is the principal GP at Freemans Bay Medical Centre. She has been a General Practitioner at this practice since 1987. Initially she was here with Doug Baird who left in 2002 to pursue other interests. She was joined shortly after by Alison Copland, then Susie Moller in 1997 and Helen Gemmell in 2001. Gary Reynolds was to the last to join the practice in 2004.

Prior to medical training, Christine was a researcher in the area of reproductive endocrinology and this interest has continued through her professional career. She is the deputy chair of the National Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Her former roles have included Chair of the Abortion Supervisory Committee for six years, NECAHR member and member of the Auckland Regional Ethics Committee.

Christine completed the Diploma in Professional Ethics in 2004.

Dr Alison Copland

MBChB, Dip. Obst/Gyn, Dip. GP

Alison has been working in General Practice in the Grey Lynn and Ponsonby area for more than twenty years and has a strong interest in the local community.

She has been at the Freemans Bays Medical Centre since 1997. Until 2006 Alison was active in General Practice obstetrics and still has an interest in antenatal care and in paediatrics.

She completed the Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at National Women’s Hospital and extended her interest in these areas in the UK in 1999 when she spent a year of training and practice in adolescent and women’s health clinics. In 2001 she completed the Diploma of General Practice (Otago).

Since the 1980s Alison has been involved with infectious disease medicine in the community and with sexual health, especially work with HIV infection.

Alison has a background in the arts and has continued to enjoy the visual arts and humanities. Her family life is rooted in the inner suburbs of Auckland.

Dr Susie Moller

MBChB, FRNZCGP, Dip. Obst/Gyn

Dr Susie Moller graduated with Honours in 1992. Despite that she still has a great sense of humour.

She enjoys the diversity of General Practice and is happy seeing all ages and stages. She says it is a privilege for her to be part of patients’ lives.

Her special interests include minor surgery e.g. removing moles and cysts and repairing ingrown toe nails. She keeps her surgical skills up to date with regular re-training.

She loves seeing children and understands the exhaustion of motherhood thanks to her own toddlers!

Susie enjoys travel medicine and expects to see photos of patient’s trips on their return. Her own recent holiday in Samoa was eventful with the devastating tsunami, and Susie spent much of the last week helping out at the local hospital. Read about her Samoan experience here (pdf pages from a GP Pulse publication).

Dr Deborah Mitchell

MBChB, FRNZCGP, Dip. Child Health, PG Cert Women's Health

Deb graduated in 1997 and began working towards a career in General Practice. Her postgraduate training included specific qualifications in paediatrics and women's health.

She loves General Practice and began working at Freemans Bay Medical Centre in 2010. She is particularly interested in Children's Health, Women's Health and Travel Medicine. She also enjoys minor surgery, including mole excisions.

Deb grew up in Auckland and has lived in Central Auckland for the past 8 years. She completed her medical degree and postgraduate hospital training in the South Island, so she is a well rounded New Zealander! She now has 2 school aged children and certainly understands the challenges that come with being a working parent.

Dr Barney Montgomery

MBChB, FRNZCGP

Barney wanted to be a doctor from the age of 12, and graduated from Otago Medical School in 2002. Since then he has worked in NZ, Australia and the UK in a variety of specialties.

Barney and his wife (also a doctor) returned to NZ in 2006 and both completed their GP training in 2010.

He enjoys the variety of General practice and has a particular interest in minor surgery, musculoskeletal medicine and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Barney loves all sports, regularly running and playing basketball. He recently moved to Auckland from Wellington and loves the warm weather!

Dr Lauren Brenner

MBChB, Dip. Obst/Gyn, GP registrar

Lauren studied Medicine at Otago University and graduated in 1999. She completed her hospital training at Middlemore, in Auckland. After this she spent time working to develop and write a health information system for hospital based doctors in the United States, and gained a diploma in Health Informatics from Otago in 2002.

Lauren has a special interest in adolescent and women’s health and spent three years working at the Family Planning Association in Auckland. She enjoys the challenges of working and raising a family and has two young daughters, the oldest of which started school this year.

Lauren is at the tail end of completing a diploma in Sexual and Reproductive Health and has experience in the insertion of IUCDs.

Currently Lauren is enjoying the myriad of challenges that present themselves in the complex and wonderful world of general practice and looks forward to completing her fellowship in the near future.

In her spare time Lauren can be found eating chocolate fudge ice cream and watching movies at the Lido.