I am interested in studying medicine because I believe this career to be my true calling in life. With my passion for the health and fitness industry and my undergraduate degree in chiropractic science I believe I have a solid foundation on studying medicine at Notre Dame.

As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander I have experienced, both within my family, and otherwise, the common issues and disadvantages our people face when it comes to health. Critical moments for me have included supporting family members, especially those with terminal and chronic conditions, in accessing health services, and realizing how helpless and detached they have felt regarding their own circumstances, despite being (tick the box) informed of their situations. And, how reluctant to ask questions and seek clarification they have been, without (and sometimes even with) the support of a significant other who may or may not have a clear of grasp the situation themselves.

I am a proud Yorta Yorta and Torres Strait Islander woman. I am a mother of four boys from ages 11 years to 8 months-old. I have a great passion to help my people and feel my lived experience will serve well as a medical professional. My goal to be a doctor stems from wanting to make a difference for my community’s health, my interest in science, and wanting to participate in the dynamic changes within medicine. My lived experience includes watching my elders pass away at a much younger age than the wider Australian population. My maternal and paternal grandparents were all affected by cancer and died far too young.

Coming from an Aboriginal background, I have seen first-hand the poorer oral health outcomes of family members. Maintaining oral health is often not held to a high priority in many of their lives, and ultimately comes down to a lack of education and role models, as well as mistrust of the healthcare system. This has greatly influenced me in pursue a career in healthcare, and cement my name in the industry as proud Quandamooka woman. After experience university clinical placements, I highly admire the extreme trust and commitment shared between the patient and the dentist. As a result, my biggest goal is to be an approachable and reliable dentist who will have a lasting effect within the community. To me, dentistry is so much more than just a quick ‘drill and fill’ approach; it encompasses many aspects of overall health and well-being. I want to better the general health among people from all backgrounds for a pain and disease-free future, and ultimately help people become independent in managing their health.

“Janu nagula jarndu buru rubibi” (As a salt Water Woman from Broome), my driving influence always has and always will be my people. I am very fortunate to have grown up in community where I was immersed in culture from a very young age. However, this also meant that I was privy to the ongoing suffering and trauma felt by my people. Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to help alleviate this suffering, and to help my culture to become what it once was. In order to follow this dream, I left country and moved to the city so that I could gain qualifications that would make a positive impact on my community.

I chose to study psychology to become a psychologist and contribute to improving Indigenous health as a qualified health worker. I understand the importance of Indigenous people having mental health care workers from their own community, who have knowledge and appreciation of the Indigenous diversity and cultural expectations. There are not enough Indigenous mental health clinicians to meet the needs of the Indigenous communities. Challenges currently exist in many cases where non-Indigenous psychologists are not always prepared where in many instances end up working in culturally unsafe ways, not only to the client but to themselves. 2022 is the final year of my undergraduate Degree in Psychology.

My main motivation for wanting to become an Aboriginal doctor originates from my upbringing in the Gold Coast Queensland. Like any child I had my ups and my downs, all of the best times were spent with my family and friends. In the bad times I experienced homelessness, poverty and loss. Some of these losses which really resonated with me as a child included watching the complications of people, I loved faced with breast cancer. These good and bad times all contributed to shaping my personality and now has become the main drive behind me wanting to become a good doctor.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People experience the greatest health disparity of any race in Australia. This can be traced back to colonisation and the creation of assimilation and protectionism policies and programs that were introduced with the goal of the eradication of First Nations People. Being displaced, forcibly removed, relocated, and denied access to Country, lore, identity, family, and community by settlers continues to have ongoing effects on the social and cultural determinants of health for First Nations People. Evidence shows that understanding and addressing the cultural and social determinants of health are imperative to improving health outcomes for First Nations People.

At a young age I was lucky enough to have the skill and support to participate in sport at an elite level. As a result, I was offered an incredible opportunity to complete a Cert 3 and 4 in Fitness. An opportunity not many get the change to do at the age of 16. Appreciating how advantaged I was, this became my influence/driving force to be able to follow my dreams and continue in the field I had started, loved and thrived on. To achieve this, I had to work hard and earn it, and when you work hard, results and satisfaction are your reward. I want to take my qualifications to the highest level and be the best that I can be. I want to support my people with better outcomes and in return, better lifestyles, enabling them to achieve their goals. To be able to reach for the stars, I want to be the person who can give that hope and chance to others by giving back. As it is well recognised that Aboriginal people face barriers to accessing healthcare.

When I successfully complete my medical studies, I plan to bring benefit to my community in numerous ways. Firstly, I hope to be a role model to other Indigenous students, where despite disadvantage and being told your dreams are unrealistic, hard work and determination will get you there if you truly put your mind to it. Once I am a doctor, regardless of the field I end up choosing, I plan to practise in rural and regional areas of Victoria and I would love to head back to the Gunditjmara country, which is my community. As a teenager who spent a lot of their time unwell and in hospital, I was tired of having to travel to receive the care I needed. People should never be disadvantaged because of where their home is, and I want to offer exceptional healthcare and expertise in these areas.