Rural Medicine Scholarship Program

It was only when I moved from my hometown on the Mid North Coast to Canberra for my university studies that I truly realised and appreciated the incredible sense of community that rural places hold that just can’t be replicated in a city environment. Growing up, I was always eager to engage in community events, whether it be to raise funds for local charities or show off the town in local events. That is one of the reasons I am so excited and grateful to be able to move to the Bega Valley next year to live, work and connect with the local community. For me, the Australian Rotary Health Rural Health Scholarship would enable me to do that in several ways.

The support of the Australian Rotary Health Scholarship will allow me to engage with more than just my clinical studies and aid in fostering a more well-rounded future rural clinician. I believe that as a medical professional working in the future resource limited areas like rural Australia, one requires a critical understanding of the limitations in delivering care but most importantly the skills and aspiration to improve the systems to address these barriers of health care delivery which I believe my engagement with research can in part teach me in doing.

During my year studying at the ANU Rural Clinical School in Cowra, my goal is to succeed with my studies, and make the most of the opportunity I am being given in being able to study there. Beyond just learning and applying that knowledge with skills, I also aim to learn more about Cowra, both from a rural healthcare perspective, and also through community involvement that will be available to me there.

With this scholarship, I hope to aid my studies financially, with additional textbooks and online resources that will extend my knowledge and understanding. I would also aim for at least some of these resources and additional learning to be specific to a future career I may want rurally.

The Australian Rotary Health Rural Health Scholarship would provide substantial support for my studies at the Rural Clinical School. I have felt significant financial pressure being a student from affording the ever-increasing costs of living that includes, but are not limited to, groceries, rent, utilities and the soaring fuel prices solely on Youth Allowance.  While I was working, it was even harder to maintain other aspects of life including socialising, exercising and resting. I felt that I was under immense mental strain and was on the verge of burn out and had to quit work.

Firstly, the financial assistance which is generously provided by the Australian Rotary Health team will greatly enable me to focus on my studies and improve my skills effectively as a healthcare member by significantly reducing my financial stress. Unfortunately, because of my commitment to the Rural Clinical School I will no longer be employed by my current employer of 4 years, losing my main source of income. Additionally, recent complex family issues and familial financial stress means that I will not have financial support from close family and will therefore rely on government payments