I am a proud Whadjuk Noongar and Yindjibarndi woman and am currently in my 2nd yearof Medical School at Monash university. Outside of my studies I am a part of an initiative to help increase university attendance for students from underrepresented backgrounds.  As well I try to involve pilates, yoga and pottery into my weekly schedule if time allowing.

My role model, my grandmother, Roni Ellis, was a strong Indigenous woman who proudly advocated for Indigenous communities across Australia and representation of our culture on a global scale. However, her remarkable work was unfortunately cut short due to falling ill, due to cancer and ultimately succumbing to her illness. Her passing was devastating for my family, but also for the many Indigenous communities she represented and the vital work she did to improve our people’s outcomes. For this reason, I have chosen to pursue a career in the medical field and aspire to help close the gap and make our
Indigenous communities feel more supported in their health journey and see better health outcomes.

My vision is to provide free healthcare to my community to all mob, in a setting that is culturally safe, sensitive, and empowering. I aim to create a space where
community members feel valued, and where healthcare is delivered with an understanding of the individual cultural and social needs of Indigenous peoples. In my
practice I want to integrate Western medicine with our traditional cultural health practices, creating a holistic approach that respects and honours Indigenous knowledge, values, and healing methods, and through this offer more comprehensive, unique, and culturally appropriate care. Additionally, I want to place a heavy focus on health education to improve health literacy and grow awareness about preventative health initiatives and the importance of early intervention.

Last year I finished my second year of medicine and my last year of preclinical medicine. This semester and year in general came with challenges but also some very rewarding moments. In my second week I was able to go to Bendigo for a week of rural placement. The placement was meant to give us a taste of what we can expect for our clinical years of the course and what challenges people in rural/regional areas may face when accessing healthcare. Over the week I was able to spend some time at Bendigo Health (hospital) and had a GP placement at the Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative. Both these experiences were very exciting and enlightening. I really enjoyed my time interacting with patients but also being able to see what I have learnt over the past 2 years put into practice. Additionally, we had a community where we got to talk with locals and people from further out then the Bendigo areas and the discussion had really allow me to see a new perspective on how living rural can impact patients access, decision and overall health outcomes.

The content we learned this semester challenged me, particularly the detailed study of head, neck and brain anatomy. While the workload was intensive, the support provided through this scholarship allowed me to focus all my attention fully on my studies without the added pressures of financial stress. I am proud to have achieved a commendation for my history taking Apex clinical examination. In addition, I am pleased with my performance across my semester papers and my end of preclinical examinations, as these results represents not only academic achievement but also my commitment and effort to my studies.

Throughout the semester I continued to engage in my extra circular activates which included TeamMed Nepal, however unfortunately our trip to Nepal was cancelled due to political tensions. Despite this it was rewarding to raise and donate money to rural communities in Nepal that need more health initiatives. I was also a part of the Kirrip Leadership program which was designed for Indigenous Health students and allowed me to develop new leaderships that I will be able to implement in the healthcare space. Through this program I was also able to engage with more people from my course as well as other health fields.

Moving into the new year I am looking forward to my placement at the Alfred and excited to see what new opportunities will come my way.