Professional & Personal Bio

Dr Thomas “Tom” D. Riisfeldt completed his medical degree at the University of New South Wales from 2010-2016, with the earlier years completed at the Prince of Wales Hospital campus in Sydney, and the later years completed at the Wagga Wagga Rural Medical School campus, during which time he developed a love of both neurology and regional medicine. He was awarded a BMed with Distinction and an MD with Distinction. Other placements during this time included overseas elective placements at the prestigious “Queen Square” National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, England, and an Emergency Department placement in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, along with additional Australian placements at the Sydney Children’s Hospital (Syndey), the Royal Hospital for Women (Sydney), the HIV Outreach Team (Sydney), and in Gundagai (regional NSW).

At university, Tom also simultaneously completed a dual degree in arts/philosophy, being awarded a BA with Distinction, followed by an honours year in bioethics/medical ethics, for which he was awarded a BASS Honours Class I and the University Medal in philosophy.

Tom has been working as a doctor since 2017. He completed his internship and residency between 2017-2018 at St George Hospital in Sydney, including rotations to The Sutherland Hospital, Calvary Palliative Care, and Griffith Base Hospital. He then completed his Basic Physician Training in the East Coast Medical Network from 2019-2021, evenly divided between Prince of Wales Hospital and Port Macquarie Base Hospital, which is when he developed his affection for Port Macquarie. All of these earlier clinical placements included dedicated neurology rotations.

Tom then completed his Advanced Training in neurology between 2022-2024, completing his first two core years at Gosford District Hospital, and the Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney, respectively, followed by a first subspecialty fellowship in neurophysiology/neuromuscular medicine at The Canberra Hospital in 2024, leading to qualification as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) Adult Division as a specialist neurologist in December 2024. Tom then completed a second additional subspecialty fellowship in epilepsy at Prince of Wales Hospital in 2025, before moving permanently to Port Macquarie in February 2026. Additionally, Tom has attained Level 2 NCS/EMG accreditation through the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN), and is currently on-track to attain Level 3 EEG accreditation through ANZAN/ESA (the Epilepsy Society of Australia). He is a current member of both ANZAN and the ESA.

In addition to his clinical work, Tom has maintained an interest and an ongoing commitment to teaching neurology to doctors and medical students. He is the founder of Riisfeldt Neurology Education (https://rneurologyeducation.org), which is a not-for-profit, free open access neurology education project providing video lectures and audio podcasts covering a broad range of neurological conditions, and he has previously been a formally appointed university clinical academic, and is currently arranging for the same to recommence with UNSW in Port Macquarie in early 2026.

Tom has also maintained an interest in research, having published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles in the fields of neurology and bioethics/medical ethics, as well as acting as a peer reviewer for multiple prestigious neurology and bioethics/medical ethics journals. Tom has also had hands-on involvement with direct patient research, working as a sub-investigator for multiple epilepsy phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials whilst at Prince of Wales Hospital in 2025.

Tom initially grew up in Sydney, although his medical career has taken him to many places intra-state, interstate and overseas as described above. Tom now happily lives with his supportive fiancé and his three (soon to be four!) beautiful young children in Port Macquarie. Tom’s non-medical, personal interests include active engagement with the philanthropic Effective Altruism movement, interests in other areas of philosophy and science, previous long-term involvement with Surf Life Saving, and a broad interest in visual art, music and literature. Tom also enjoys staying healthy and active, has previously played countless sports, and is looking forward to finally getting back into surfing!

Curriculum Vitae