Indigenous Health Scholarship Program

My name is Kirby, and I am a proud Walmatjarri man in my second year at the University of Western Australia. I am currently studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with an assured pathway into the Doctor of Medicine.

My motivation for choosing medicine comes from my desire to continue using my problem-solving skills and to fulfill my aptitude for helping people, both in the broader community and ultimately within my own community.

Miah is a proud Wirjradi woman driven by her passion for medical equality and equity. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing with provisional entry to the Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Queensland. Miah is an advocate for Indigenous health, conscious of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and the lack of common healthcare in rural communities. She was exceptional in secondary schooling, graduating from Toowoomba Anglican School with an exceptional ATAR and numerous academic and leadership awards.

I am a proud Gundungurra woman who has grown up on Palawa country, Tasmania. From a young age, I have had a deep interest in health and medicine, with my own experiences with illness sparking my curiosity, which has only developed deeper over the years. Due to health issues, I have followed an alternate path to be where I am today, however, my experiences have provided me with a wealth of knowledge and perspectives I am extremely grateful for.

I was born and raised in the small town of Derby, Western Australia. My passion for mental health advocacy is deeply rooted in my upbringing. Having grown up in an area plagued by one of the world’s highest rates of suicide, I’ve been touched by the impact of mental health challenges. Witnessing the absence of adequate mental health support services in our remote communities has fuelled my resolve to effect change.

I am a proud Meuram man from Erub (Darnley Island, Torres Strait), with connections to Ngāti Awa (Māori tribe). I bring over a decade of lived experience growing up in the remote communities of the Torres Strait, absconding from school and then excelling in school, working in not for profits and for profits, working both ‘on the ground’ and in administrative roles, caring for my 14-year-old niece, and being a former athlete and now strong advocate for youth and social justice. I have a unique lived experience and perspective that would be valuable to this committee. This lived experience coupled with a passion for empowering and enabling the next generation of young people to thrive and navigate an abundance of life.

My name is Bradley Smith, I am a Wiradjuri and Gomeroi man. I have a background in Paramedic Science and I am currently in my second year as a Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Queensland. My goal is to specialise in General Practice and work as a General Practitioner in a community-controlled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Clinic.

Raised in a small Aboriginal community in New South Wales, my upbringing provided me with firsthand insights into the healthcare challenges Indigenous peoples face. Witnessing my sister and father navigate the complexities of accessing medical care in remote areas due to a genetic disease deeply impacted me. With a background in military service and exploration, including a stint in the Navy and an expedition to Antarctica, I developed invaluable leadership, teamwork, and crisis management skills.

I am a mature aged student with a background as a solicitor. Having been raised on an Aboriginal community and strongly encouraged by my uncles and aunts as an adolescent/teenager, I sought a career as a lawyer to help my people. My career included working as initially as an inhouse bank lawyer, then a lawyer in private practise, to a government lawyer in Queensland and work in Aboriginal community organisations, then to a government lawyer in the Northern Territory, then finally back to Aboriginal community organisations in NSW.

I am a Proud Wiradjuri Man descendant from my mother’s maternal line from the Forbes area of NSW. I currently live on Gadigal Country and continue connections with mob, for example, being an assisted coach to the Waterloo U13 Rugby League side that played in the 2023 Koori Knock and my son is a proud member of the Waverley College Walawaani Indigenous cultural group and player in the Koori Knock-out.

My name is Bianca Knight I am a proud Biripi woman and a second year Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Sydney. I completed my Undergraduate studies in Nursing at the University of Wollongong, and worked as an Indigenous Nursing Cadetship with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. I adored paediatric medicine and went on to work as a Registered Nurse in specialty areas including paediatric cardiology, neurology, and neonatology.