I am a proud Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan man from Cobar, NSW. I grew up in the regional town of Toowoomba and have always had strong connection to Indigenous and rural health care, through the Carbal Medical Centre. I particularly gained an understanding of the rural environment through my school, which had an emphasis on boarding students from isolated rural communities, many of whom were my friends.

As a child, I frequently spend time in the health care system and, as I grew older, I became more aware and intrigued with the individualised and patient centred care I received. Whilst young at the the time, these qualities have resonated and developed with me as I have grown up. Now that I have more experience and understanding of how health care systems function and how patient care can be provided, I am excited to be on my own path of providing positive contributions to health care, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities.

My progression through JCU’s MBBS program has allowed my knowledge and understanding of Indigenous health to grow substantially. Subjects such as Ecology of Health and Rural, Remote, Indigenous and Tropical Health has highlighted the disparity and issues that Indigenous communities face. Some of these issues include, access to healthcare, trust issues and cultural safety. I am also aware of current initiatives such as the Closing the Gap targets. As a future qualified Indigenous Medical Practitioner, I believe I can assist in addressing this disparity and close the gap through advocacy and providing culturally sensitive, high-quality healthcare to all my patients.

Whilst my goal and commitments are future based, I have already commenced to make a difference through various community and Indigenous involvements. I thoroughly enjoyed my placements at Carbal Medical Centre in Toowoomba and the Atherton Hospital where I immersed myself in the community and learned from my montors.

After a gruelling final examination period last year, I enjoyed a much-needed summer break at home with family and friends before commencing my final year in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program at James Cook University.

With no examinations this year, my focus is preparing to be a competent doctor for next year. I plan to achieve this by fully immersing myself in my clinical placements, revising content from previous years and maintaining my strong friendships.

I once again commenced my full-time clinical placements where I rotated through Anaesthetics, Emergency Medicine, and Respiratory Medicine over 10 weeks in Mackay. I particularly enjoyed my 5-week Respiratory placement where I was able to develop my clinical skills like ABG collection, examinations, and documentation. I also completed two case reports which have now been published to SunText Review of Medical & Clinical Research.

I then completed placement in Urology, Haematology and Oncology over 10 weeks in my hometown of Toowoomba. I was able to learn new skills such as performing flexible cystoscopies and ultrasound guided cannulation/bloods. I was also able to spend more quality time with my family and friends. A highlight outside of Medicine was playing social Football almost every week with my friends, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have continued going to the gym regularly, which helps me refresh my mind after busy days on placement.

I am currently on my 10-week rural placement in Charters Towers where I am rotating between the Emergency Department and the General Wards.

I continue to enjoy all aspects of the course, particularly the more hands-on approach and clinical placement exposure. I look forward to completing my final placement rotating through various specialties like Orthopaedics, Palliative Care and Ophthalmology in Mackay. I will then graduate in December before I commence my first year as a doctor at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital.