Past Research

I have previously been successful in being offered a scholarship for your organisation in the years of 2014, 2015, and 2017 for my Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health), the  opportunity really did help me be able to see the end of my degree. I was very grateful I was offered the scholarship and be able to meet all of the amazingly kind people I did while on that journey.

I plan on spending most of my efforts as a future Public Health (PH) Physician by taking interventions that are seen to be effective in research and practically translating these interventions into communities in a culturally safe manner. At my time at the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS), I was advised by an Indigenous GP that Aboriginal Australians are some of the most researched people on the planet, however the direct benefit of this research back into community still goes astray. Thus, having connections with Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education, Menzies School of Health Research, as well as other Indigenous Australian health workers, as a PH Physician I can help make this a reality.

I currently already have a great deal of passion working with Indigenous people.   The passion stems from seeing the issues my family have had to endure with their physical, emotional and spiritual health.  I also have firsthand experience of the problems facing Indigenous people in the top end, as I work as an Aboriginal Heath Practitioner in the front-line of the clinic addressing the very personal issues with patients that I encounter.   I have developed a very strong bond with many community members in the Darwin area and I wish to carry this service on into  medicine where I can better  promote the need for Indigenous health as a Doctor.

In 2015, I completed my bachelor of nursing degree from Monash University with the intention of working for a year or two as a registered nurse, growing my knowledge base, attempting all the while to make a difference in the lives that I had the honour of touching.   In 2017, my daughter had a late term miscarriage.   This event reignited my passion for midwifery and highlighted the need for more Aboriginal midwives.

As an Aboriginal midwife, I aim to contribute to my community by enabling Aboriginal women to get the most appropriate prenatal and antenatal care possible. This may be achieved by ensuring women are made aware of the services available to them in a culturally appropriate manner.

I am passionate about working in, and making a difference to health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I am aware that the health disparities faced by Indigenous peoples are broad and complex. Health literacy and opportunities to access resources supportive of living a healthy lifestyle can build a positive health culture among Indigenous people and communities.

I hope to contribute to improving Indigenous health when I complete my degree by working within the health sector advocating for and supporting Indigenous people within the healthcare setting.   I am passionate about closing the gap and believe this can not be done without using knowledge from our ancestors and understanding our cultural worldview and continuing and progressing with a full holistic approach.

I want to do further research in to the inter-generational mental health effects of family members with chronic diseases within Indigenous communities and the differences between those who require hospitalisation away from their communities.

For a very young age I developed a passion to help people, this has continued throughout my life influencing my career.   My strongest desire to become a nurse with a keen interest of working with infants and children, was cemented when I became a mother.

I have been working withing Aboriginal health for the past 6 years as the Indigenous Liaison Officer for Wuchopperen Health Service in Cairns region.   Through both my personal and working experiences I have seen first hand the health inequalities and the challenges that Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islanders face today.   Health expectations for Indigenous people are still significantly lower than that of non-Indigenous.

Within the Cairns community there is a high population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that reside here.   A lot still needs to be addressed if Indigenous health is to improve.

I enrolled as a matured aged student to undertake my studies in Masters of Public Health.   I have always been keen to take on tertiary studies, however, I could not afford the time or financial constraints when I was younger whilst raising my family.   As a mature aged student I have found that this learning experience has been very empowering, rewarding and a fruitful opportunity.   I have personally benefited from studying, gained many positive experiences and contributing to many classroom discussions during my time on this course.    Engaging with fellow Indigenous students has been very insightful, the opportunities to learn from others and being a part of their learning journey has been a very humbling experience.

I am a proud Indigenous woman, and during the last few years I have pursued deeper spiritual and cultural connections to my Indigenous heritage. My journey began in 2015 at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, where I was tasked with undergoing research development and proposal planning, assessing the health and well-being of incarcerated Indigenous mothers and their children in the Queensland Prison System. This experience highlighted the disturbing gap in healthcare access, and the poor treatment of Indigenous women and children within the penitentiary system.

When I started Medicine, I looked for ways to appreciate my sense of self further, and so I became a member of the Australian Indigenous Doctor’s Association (AIDA).