Past Research

“Warami” I am Brianna St John, a proud Darug woman from the Burramatta clan. 2020 has been a year we have never seen before bringing hardship – even devastation – to so many with still no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic. Being involved in medicine as a medical student I have realised how an important service we provide to our wider community. Nursing has been my passion; I finished my degree in two years, where an inspired lecturer saw more in me than I aspired for.I am a resilient and determined woman to be an example to my clan and wider community to succeed as an Indigenous Doctor.

As an Indigenous woman I have seen the many ailments that have left my people and communities broken, I have grown accustomed to unfortunately hearing about high levels of chronic health conditions and preventable diseases, this played a huge role in my desire and ambition to becoming a nurse.

Sure, everyone explains how they are going to assist Aboriginal people and communities to provide better health and wellbeing outcomes. Don’t get me wrong it’s something I definitely aim to achieve however; one important thing I think we need to work on first is how we interact and engage with Aboriginal people and communities.

As a qualified Registered Nurse, I plan to contribute to improve Indigenous health outcomes play an important role in teaching patients education and providing health to the community through culturally appropriate care that is high quality, safe, patient centered and accessible in a range of settings.

My interest in Speech Pathology is rooted in my family history….

During my 12 month bridging course, I sought out volunteer work at a local public school and day care, when I assisted a speech pathologist. Both facilities were in low socio-economic areas and had a high attending of bother Indigenous and underprivileged young children, some with very cad circumstances. I loved helping them and seeing what a high difference just one person who cares can make to their self confidence, trust and ultimately their entire future.

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.