Michael is a graduate of Otago Medical School in New Zealand (MB ChB 1983) and completed specialist training with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in Intensive Care Medicine (FRACP 1991, FJFICM 2002). In 2007 he graduated Doctor of Medicine with the submission of his thesis to Monash University: “The epidemiology and prevention of in hospital cardiac arrests.” He also has a graduate certificate in health economics from Monash University (2001).

He is currently the Director of Intensive Care at the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie, Tasmania the Chair of Health Services at the School of Medicine, University of Tasmania.