Current Funding

Since pursuing Medicine, I have established a few objectives for myself which I will stay true to my career as a qualified medical practitioner. The first is that I will ensure to always dedicate part of my working career to bettering the quality of and access to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This is of course influenced by the inequities my own family has faced and those of my Indigenous friends’ families as well. I continue to stay in touch with the health issues that exist in remote communities through my involvement with societies like the Rural Allied Health and Medical Society and the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and I would like to extend this involvement to speak on issues and inspiring future Indigenous doctors.

I was born and grew up in South Western Sydney (Dharawal country). I am of Wiradjuri descent on my mother’s side and Finnish on my father’s. My Aboriginal roots go back to Bulgandramine Mission near Peak Hill in central New South Wales. The family has actually been fortunate enough to trace our ancestry back to James Nerang, who was a tracker for NSW Police at the turn of the 19th –20th century. His daughter, Sarah Waterloo, was my great great grandmother. I am grateful to be studying at university so that once I have graduated I can advocate for and the improve representation of Indigenous issues in the Australian health system.

My interest in Speech Pathology is rooted in my family history….

During my 12 month bridging course, I sought out volunteer work at a local public school and day care, when I assisted a speech pathologist. Both facilities were in low socio-economic areas and had a high attending of bother Indigenous and underprivileged young children, some with very cad circumstances. I loved helping them and seeing what a high difference just one person who cares can make to their self confidence, trust and ultimately their entire future.

Growing up in Roxby Downs showed me how small communities need health care. It was my aspiration that lead me to leave my community and move to boarding school for a better education. My aspiration for after university is to become a rural doctor and work in the remote communities around Australia.

Medicine has been a strong interest of mine since before starting university, however, I was not confident that I was smart enough to study medicine. I have had first-hand experience in hospitals due to my own injuries as well as being present when family members were in hospital with chronic illnesses. The sheer amount of knowledge that doctors had was fascinating to me – though the short falls were easy to see especially with patient communication and conveying empathy towards vulnerable and disadvantaged people. I studied an Arts undergraduate degree straight out of high school, majoring in International Studies and Sociology. I successfully completed the alternate pathway into medicine with Flinders, with encouragement from family, concurrently in the last semester of my undergraduate degree.

I have been interested in undertaking nursing studies for about 17 years. Back in 2001 I commenced a nursing degree, however to my delight, I found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately, I was sick every day during the term of my pregnancy and I was unable to continue. Seventeen years later, I now work in an environment that supports my desire to study nursing and I am very grateful to be finally in a a position to take it up again.

Completing this degree will assist me in gaining a Social Work Degree, which will add immensely to my current knowledge and skills base as a Aboriginal Health Worker in Country Health SA. I have worked in an Aboriginal Health Worker capacity, with a focus on Aboriginal Youth Health and Well-being in Country Health SA for the past 7 years. In this time I have been highly supported by both the Community Health Social Work Team and the Mental health Team. I have worked within a Social Work Model of Care, and have regular supervision from a Social Worker, who has helped me to grow and learn in the Social Work space, adding to my interest in becoming a Social Worker.

As a Ngarrindjeri woman from the lower south east of South Australia, I feel a strong connection to my culture and Aboriginal community. I live in the Riverland and my family and will be commencing my second year of a Bachelor of Nursing studying full time at Flinders University. Last year I completed my first year of the degree, which involved 80 hours of placement in an acute hospital. While on placement I was responsible for: taking patients vital signs, assisting patients personal care, making beds, observing the RN administer medications and would care dressings. I thoroughly enjoyed placement because I was able to meet some great nursing staff as well as, interacting with patients on the ward. This year I am looking forward to doing more placements and performing next level nursing procedures and processes.

Choosing to study medicine was not a decision I made at a young age nor was it made during my high school years. In high school, I rarely entertained the idea of pursuing an education at a university level. During this time, I believed becoming a psychiatrist was an unrealistic aspiration. My parents didn’t complete their high school education and a life-threatening stroke forced my mother into early retirement. I found it difficult to imagine tertiary education as part of my narrative, believing I would take after my parents. Despite these obstacles, I have had the opportunity to study medicine, the first in my family? and if I were to be awarded this scholarship this would assist myself and my family in numerous ways.

My name is Dylan Read, I am a father of two daughters and Medicine has always been a goal to gain entry into and this year I have been lucky enough to receive a first round offer. My interest in Bachelor of Medicine/surgery degree comes from working in a hospital for nearly 3 years while being employed with SA health in administration and speaking to my doctors overtime and understanding the hospital systwm works. I have just transferred from Bachelor of Paramedic Science degree after gaining a high GPA and successfully passing the medical panel interview.