She could never have imagined just how life-changing those travels – which included an unexpected but “inspirational” trip to India – would end up being. Because after that gap year McMahon decided to ditch her planned writing career and return home to complete years 11 and 12 again, so she could get the grades she needed to study medicine and become a doctor.

That decision also led her from Victoria, where she grew up, to Tasmania, where the now 47-year-old has lived happily for more than 20 years, working as a GP and more recently as a published author, with her second book, The Accident, out now.

It’s an unusual but rewarding career combination, with McMahon able to expertly weave medical knowledge into her fictional storylines and characters. She explores themes of bullying and loneliness in her latest novel, as well as the impact of mental health conditions and eating disorders on families, and the pressures faced by junior medical professionals, as well as looking at infidelity, the struggles of parenting and the value of friendship.

It appears to be a winning combination, with McMahon’s work attracting high praise from fans across the globe, including from best-selling Australian author Liane Moriarty (of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers fame). Moriarty “absolutely loved” McMahon’s debut novel, The Mistake, which was released early last year, describing it as “fresh, funny and heartfelt’’. Meanwhile Liane’s sister, author Jaclyn Moriarty, described the book as “an amazing, irresistible read”, while British author Harriet Walker hailed it as “an intelligent thriller with heart and guts … brilliantly written and immersive’’.

McMahon’s new psychological drama, The Accident, has also attracted rave reviews, with fans labelling it “unmissable drama” with “delicious tension and suspense”, along with characters that are “real, complex and incredibly likeable’’. Many also say the second book is “even better than her first” and is “such a joy to read from beginning to end.’’

McMahon admits she took an unconventional path to becoming an author, but believes it has ultimately made her a better writer. And she loves the contrasting nature of her two professions, despite the challenges of juggling both careers while also raising a family.

She credits her own mum for kickstarting her passion for reading and writing.

“I always loved reading,’’ McMahon explains.

“I was one of those kids who was really hopeless at sport … it was in the days where teachers used to line kids up and then other kids could pick the teams. And I was literally always picked last. But I loved reading, and books, and mum was one of those mum who always took us to the library because it was free and she wanted us to read.

“I loved english at school, and english literature, and also drama. I really loved drama and plays and telling stories. So then I thought I would study to be a journalist, because that’s what you do if you want to be a writer.’’

But, of course, her travels overseas turned those plans upside down.

“I went off to India and I just got really inspired by all those youthful ideas about wanting to make a difference and help,’’ McMahon recalls.

“And so I thought well maybe I could become a doctor.’’

She didn’t initially plan to visit India, only deciding to go there after she had made it to Europe and settled in England. But she says she’s certainly glad for the itinerary change, even if it did result in her repeating years 11 and 12 when she returned to Australia.

“I had to do year 11 and 12 again as I hadn’t done any maths and science subjects,’’ McMahon says.

“I was really gung ho – I figured you spend a long time working in your chosen career so I may as well invest another two years in it.’’

She was “thrilled” to be accepted to study medicine at the University of Tasmania after her college studies were complete.

“I moved to Tasmania when I was 20,’’ McMahon recalls.

“I moved down here and I literally didn’t know anyone, I’d never met anyone who lived in Tasmania but I just immediately fell in love with Hobart and have been here ever since.’’

After finishing her university studies, McMahon worked at the Launceston General Hospital, at North West Regional Hospital and the Royal Hobart Hospital before becoming a GP. She now works as GP with a special interest in women’s health, and also teaches medical students how to communicate more effectively.

McMahon didn’t even realise she wanted to write a book until after she had her children – who are now primary school aged – and was preparing to return to work as a medical practitioner after a long stint of maternity leave.

“I had quite a bit time off when my kids were little,’’ she says.

“And when it was time to go back to work I was talking to a senior colleague. We were chatting about hopes and dreams for the future and I started getting tears in my eyes, and said “I’ve always really wanted to write’. I totally hadn’t expected that.

“I realised after that, that I really had a yearning in me that had always been there but I hadn’t really expressed or done anything about.’’

So she returned to work part-time and started writing in her spare time, as well as enrolling in a Master of Creative Writing online through Macquarie University.

She enjoyed the experience and felt she picked up a lot of good techniques, but didn’t entirely enjoy the online side of learning.

Then, much to her surprise, her dad gave her a Christmas gift – something he hadn’t done since she was a child – and it was a ticket to author Fiona McIntosh’s writing masterclass in Adelaide which she admits she was “stoked about”.

That was in 2018 and the five-day intensive course was life-changing for McMahon.

“It was the first time I realised ‘oh my goodness, writing a novel is something real people can do’,’’ she says.

“Of course I had known that people write books, but not anyone like me. I didn’t know anyone who had ever written a book. But [Fiona] made it seem possible.

“Because there she was, being her real, normal self and she’d written 20 books or something.’’

McMahon realised there was no time for excuses, she had to “just get on with and do it’’.

And it didn’t take long before she’d written her first book, The Mistake, which was released in March 2021.

“When I was an intern I had written this novella or short story about some characters, and I’d always wondered what had happened to them,’’ McMahon recalls.

“I’d written it in my 20s, when the characters were in their 20s and now I was in my late 30s. So I started writing about those characters again and I was really lucky to get that book picked up by the first publisher that saw it, which was awesome.’’

That book, set in Hobart and Melbourne, follows the journey of two very different sisters and is a story about mistakes and choices, relationships and forgiveness.

McMahon started working on her new book, The Accident, before The Mistake had even been released.

Also set in Hobart, the psychological drama is an insightful exploration of the ways our formative years shape us, the resonating influence of first love and the impact of social rejection set against the healing power of love and friendship, as told from the perspective of three women whose lives are cleverly intertwined, as they move towards an event that will forever change their lives.

Colleagues and friends often ask McMahon if the books are based on her own life or people she knows, particularly when it comes to storylines like infidelity and bullying. The Accident is set partly in a Hobart hospital, with medical knowledge drawn from her own experiences working in Tasmanian hospitals and GP clinics. But McMahon says while the landscape in her books may feel familiar to Tasmanian readers, the characters are complete works of fiction.

“Neither of the books are based on anyone,’’ she says.

“But I think I definitely draw on feelings that I’ve had. I’ve felt lonely, I’ve felt mortified, I’ve felt love. I’ve felt many of the experiences that the characters have had. But there are also specific experiences that the characters have had that I have not had.’’

She was moved to explore themes of loneliness after chatting to readers about The Mistake at an event at Petrarch’s Bookshop in Launceston.

“I was asked a question about loneliness and it got a strong reaction from the audience,’’ McMahon explains.

“Many of us agreed that loneliness is a thing that is still a social kind of taboo. There are so many things that we used to be ashamed of that we now feel comfortable to speak out about. Which is why I wanted to make loneliness a theme of this book.’’

She says it has been heartening that her books have been well received by readers, and she was “thrilled” to attract praise from Liane and Jaclyn Moriarty.

“I had really always admired the writing of Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn also,’’ McMahon says.

“To have them say something nice about my work was just incredibly encouraging.’’

She is grateful that she found her way back to her original love of writing after establishing her medical career. And while she finds it exhausting at times to juggle two separate careers, McMahon remains equally passionate about both.

“I need to be switched on when I’m working,’’ she says.

“For both medicine and writing you have to put your whole head and heart into it. I see them both as really demanding jobs, where I want to put my absolute best into it.

“There is probably more freedom and more solitude in writing and I love that I can take a story in so many different directions.’’

McMahon believes her medical career and her varied life experiences have helped make her a better author.

“I definitely think there is no way I could write the books I write if I hadn’t had the life that I’ve had,’’ she says.

“I think my writing is better now than it was when I was in my 20s because there is a maturity and thoughtfulness as I get older and I feel like I have something to write about now, which I certainly wouldn’t have had 20 years ago.’’

Katie McMahon will be in conversation with fellow Tasmanian author Meg Bignell about McMahon’s latest book, The Accident, at the Hobart Library on Friday October 21 at 5.30pm. The event is free (nibbles and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided), but registrations are required via eventbrite.com.au. The Accident (Echo Publishing, RRP $32.99) is available now.