As a child I was immersed in health education, either through family and community and in school. I was exposed to Aboriginal health travelling into remote Pilbara Western Desert communities with my mother, a nurse and educator, assisting her acting as a patient model in Senior First Aid and health courses. This planted a seed for me to work in health with Aboriginal communities.

Once I have completed Doctor of Medicine I plan to specialise in Paediatrics and work with Aboriginal children, their families and communities. Having Aboriginal representation in children’s health should make children and families feel culturally safe and not feel alienated as Aboriginal patients. Additionally, using my lived experience and knowledge of the barriers that my children and I faced and how we overcome this may help develop strategies and programmes to reduce discrimination and address access and inequity.

Qualifications in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing gives an overarching view to social, emotional, and mental health of Aboriginal people; embedding a holistic approach to underpinning social health determinants to provide access and equity and empower health literacy in children and families. I plan to undertake research and integrate art therapy and Stolen Generations family anecdotes to underpin any research questions. My interest in research is to continue learning and seeking evidence-based answers and I hope to contribute towards one or more research projects at UWA.

I use my art practice to tell stories about the importance of Aboriginal health and wellbeing in a holistic approach bringing together human biology and anatomy with Aboriginal culture and landscapes depicting Aboriginal health and well-being, connection to country and how that connection is imperative to Aboriginal health. This informative approach to medical and health education ultimately, depicts how Country is more than the land, it is our health. With my health qualifications art and mentoring skills, I am equipped to develop and teach art, culture and healing and advocate for our communities in areas like mental health and suicide prevention to enrich our culture as healing.

Overall, I strive to make meaningful contributions to the Closing the Gap national socio-economic targets within my families, schools and community by continuing to develop community engagement and health promotion initiatives activities to address social economic disparities.

Term 1 Surgery and Psychiatry

The first rotation of 2024 was divided into surgery and psychiatry placements. Surgery consisted of urology and orthopaedics. In urology I observed various presentations, attended MDT meetings and presented a case on the grand ground. Additionally, I attended theatre to observe a ureteroscopy. The experience gained on this placement consolidated my knowledge in urology including further expanding my management knowledge on different presentations.

In orthopaedics I spent my mornings in MDT meetings and thereafter attended the daily clinics. I observed various presentations of hip, knee, spine and hand issues related to orthopaedics. I had the opportunity to see patients on my own and present to the registrar prior to them seeing the patient thereafter. Additionally, I attended the sarcoma clinic. I was show MRIs of various sarcomas and further develop on the skill or reading this type of imaging. This clinic was very difficult due to the prognosis of many patients. However, I was able to gain more insight into the role of additional staff that were in the clinics to provide counselling to patients after they had received bad news, I found this comforting as staff employed in this role are vital to the patients emotional and psychological health.

Furthermore, I attended theatre where I observed and assisted with a total hip replacement.

In the first week I spent time following a consultant in one of the clinics in the first week who then invited me to spend a full day in theatre the following week. I observed and assisted with replacement of screws in a slipped upper femoral epiphysis and many total hip replacements. The highlight of the surgery placement was the time I spent in theatre as it increased my interest in surgery as a specialty.

In the psychiatry placement I improved on my knowledge of different mental health presentations. Additionally, I learnt about personality disorders and was able to follow a patient with emotionally unstable personality disorder which further expanded my knowledge of presentation and management. Furthermore, I gained further knowledge on immature vs mature defence mechanisms, and complex A, complex B & complex C personality traits. I gained insight and knowledge on how to observe this in patients to consider these in formulating a diagnosis.

I further had an opportunity to interview a patient, the feedback from the team that observed this stated I build rapport naturally and quickly that the patient had spoken about issues and circumstances he had previously withheld. With the information gained from this interview I used the biopsychosocial model to develop a provisional diagnosis, an initial management plan, admission plan and long-term management plan, including prevention of risk or relapse.

Term 2 General Practice

In my second rotation I spent 8 weeks sitting with a general practitioner. I observed various presentations such as UTI’s, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, viral infections, and heart conditions. I also spent time in the procedural room where I administered vaccinations and Prolia injections, cleaned wounds, applied ECG leads and interpreted results, observed fluorescence staining and examination in a patient who had a tiny shard of glass enter his eye, and observed a patient receiving compression treatment for lymphoedema.

I also performed multiple pelvic examinations for cervical screening, and STI screening, Additionally I performed urinalysis for patients presenting with UTI systems. Furthermore, I zapped multiple skin lesions including plantar warts. I also observed the process for mental health care plans and chronic disease management care plans.

I had the chance to sit in the doctor’s chair and run consultations and provide management plans. In this placement I increased my knowledge on the general practitioner’s role as the basis of liaison between many different specialties and allied health services.

Term 3 Paediatrics

In the paediatrics rotation I was assigned to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the endocrinology team and the emergency department.

In the NICU I observed various congenital conditions and preterm neonates whilst I established knowledge on presentations and management. I also attended a radiology meeting and MDT meeting. In the radiology meeting I was able to observe and improve on reading x-rays and ultrasound images. Furthermore, I was taught how to calculate drug fluid balance for neonates.

With the endocrinology team I gained knowledge on patients with type I diabetes and management plans including the use continuous glucose monitoring devices and insulin infusion pumps. I also further expanded my knowledge on childhood thyroid disorders and management.

In my time in the emergency department, I was able to experience the lifestyle of shift work which included weekends, evenings and nights. However, I really enjoyed my time in the emergency department. I felt like a valuable part of the team as in various cases I obtained the initial history and performed relevant examinations then reported to the registrar prior to them seeing the patient. I developed an understanding of why in younger children the pregnancy history, birth history and neonatal history is important to consider in diagnosis and management. Additionally, how recent and current intake and output in a child is relevant to symptoms, diagnosis, and management. I appreciated that doctors also considered the parental concern and distress level in decision making, especially with management of the child. I saw various presentations of viral illness and infections, head trauma, myositis, and complex ADHD. Additionally, I observed an attempt of a lumbar puncture in a neonate. I enjoyed my experience in paediatrics, it is very different to adult medicine however I enjoyed interacting with children and their parents.