Rural Medicine Scholarship Program

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. At first, I saw the placement as a potential escape from my complicated family situation. But after the journey to the first Royal Bathurst Show I attended, I realised 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.

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.

Since commencing my medical student journey, I have been fortunate to engage in multi-day rural experiences in Bathurst through Western Sydney University’s Rural Program. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at different community events such as community health checks at the Royal Bathurst Show and Bathurst 500. Through these community engagements, I was able to immerse myself in the local community. I also participated in the WSU Rural Health Club’s School Outreach Trip in 2022, whereby we demonstrated medical and allied health skills to high school students in Bathurst to provide an insight into health career options. I really enjoyed this experience as it gave me an insight into the community-oriented mindset of the staff and students at Bathurst Clinical School.

My name is Gahena Ram, I will be a fourth-year medical student in 2024 at Bathurst Rural Clinical School, and I would love the opportunity to receive the Australian Rotary Health Rural Clinical Health Scholarship. I am from Maitland but have been living in Campbelltown for the past three years because of my studies. I chose to come to Bathurst as I do feel like I belong with rural/regional communities much more due to the way I grew up and am looking forward to joining a regional setting once more.

As a future doctor, I believe community involvement and extracurricular interests are a vital part of becoming a holistic and well-rounded medical professional, to be able to fully understand the community that one serves

The Australian Rotary Health Rural Health Scholarship would greatly support myself as I transition my studies into the rural location. I have always been interested in studying in a rural area and broadening my scope for further work life potentially in a rural location. This scholarship would assist my transition to Bathurst and moving away from home for the first time would be a lot smoother until I can start supporting myself financially while being able to turn my focus to getting as much experience in the hospital and organising my study and assessments. I also hope to spend this time settling into the new environment and with this, I hope to put a good amount of time into my rural based MD research program which is looking at the comparison between screening and management of atrial fibrillation between urban and rural areas.