Rural Medicine Scholarship Program

Growing up on a farm located on the Yorke Peninsula, humble beginnings instilled resilience, ethics and kindness forming the foundation of my drive for self-improvement and community service. My passion for medicine was inspired by my local GP; now a mentor to myself in becoming a rural GP. This has defined my trajectory through medical school, undertaking my surgical rota on in Pt Augusta, and upcoming yearlong placement in Pt Pirie & Crystal. After 5 years away, I am excited to be returning rural as a part of the Rural Clinical School.   Having strong connections to rural Australia, I have seen first-hand the gap in services delivered compared to our metropolitan counterparts. This has driven my passion to advocate for meaningful change in rural and Indigenous healthcare.

I have lived my whole life on the outskirts of Canberra on farms. I associate my childhood with shearing, mustering, riding horses and working hard. Since studying at university, I am not able to engage with this part of my life as much as I used to. I still live on a small hobby farm that my family rents from a close
friend. My dad runs sheep in Yass and my Mum runs a village post office in Hall, ACT.

I describe myself as rural and have never lived in town long term. Next year in Cowra will be my first me living in a town centre, even if it is smaller than Canberra and away from home.

The privilege of being given the Australian Rotary Health Rural Health Scholarship thoroughly excites me. This opportunity is more than just financial support, but it’s also a chance to deeply engage with the Bega and Rotary communities as a medical student and eventually as a rural doctor. Balancing academics with community engagement has been rewarding, but supporting my family in Victoria has been challenging. This scholarship would ease financial pressures, allow me to focus on my studies and fund family visits during the few study breaks. Alleviating this emotional toll would enable me to engage more fully in the community.    A major part of my character is my people-oriented approach.  It’s always been my mantra that when someone can give to others, they should relish that opportunity because they could have a profound impact on another person’s life.

Years of university in metropolitan Australia provided a high-quality education and lifelong friendships; yet, why did I continue feeling that something was missing? Upon reflection, I realised that this void arose from my unique childhood experiences spent in rural locations. Born to adventure-bound parents of Australian and Malaysian-Indian origin, my sisters and I travelled widely, living in Western Australia as well as far-flung towns in Spain, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the UK. It’s clear that deep-rooted community values were instilled deep within me. I recall the simplicity of thriving in small towns where I felt I knew everyone and listened to all their stories of daily life. Where it was fine to leave the doors unlocked or spontaneously cycle to a neighbour’s home and be invited to share a family meal; where I cannot recall feeling alone in spite of there being less bustle than the cities. My passion for rural life was ignited long before I discovered medicine.

Having completed my primary and secondary schooling in Dubbo, I witnessed the challenges that rural communities face in accessing timely and specialised healthcare. My experiences in Dubbo have inspired me to strive towards improving healthcare services and workforce expansion in rural and remote areas which is why I have chosen Bathurst Clinical School.

I currently work as a medical transcriptionist, and NDIS support worker to cover my daily living expenses and costs associated with my medical program. I attend placement at Blacktown hospital and am a proactive medical student who always seeks opportunities to contribute.

When I’m asked incredulously by my peers – “why Bathurst” – the answer is so multifaceted it’s hard to put it in one sentence. After just a few visits to Bathurst it was obvious that rural medicine had infinities of unique experiences and opportunities to offer. One particular interaction has really stuck with me since then – a little boy proudly showing me his surgical scars from his numerous dirt biking adventures, telling me all about his experiences in hospital and the surgeries he had done. What stood out to me the most from his stories and my conversations about health with every person I have met was the resilience and resourcefulness of every doctor, nurse, paramedic, physiotherapist and community member, and the unique way in which healthcare is a collective endeavour in every regard when you’re rural, despite the relative isolation and lack of access that challenges rural healthcare.

The cost of living is rising, yet student placement hours are not reducing, and the role of medical student remains unpaid. Everyone has to learn at some point, but it cannot be denied that the demands of placement, compounded by assignments and study time, make it difficult to find time for paid employment. I currently have two jobs, one at the hospital at the switchboard and front desk, the other being a work-from-home administrative role with a cardiothoracic research institute. Being a casual in the former role, I have no guaranteed shifts, and I also struggle to give availability due to placement timetable often being released late and being subject to change constantly. The Australian Rotary Rural Health Scholarship would alleviate the stress of trying to pick up shifts in this role, and the subsequent exhaustion after working until 11pm and needing to be back at the hospital the following day for 8am placement.

Since starting medicine, I have been interested in studying and working in a rural area and am super fortunate to be studying in Lismore for the next 1.5 years.   Moving away from home for the first time has had its challenges but studying rurally has offered me a more hands-on experience with valuable learning opportunities for doctors who have been very willing to teach.   This close connection with the team has allowed me to learn more about the unique challenges of rural healthcare.  I have been travelling frequently to towns outside of Lismore to attend outpatient clinics and special schools, which has enabled me to gain an insight into the specific healthcare needs of these different communities.   This scholarship would help alleviate the financial burden of transportation, accommodation and living expenses, thus reducing my need for part-time work and instead enabling me to focus on improving my engagement with a rural community.