My name is Kaleisha Cowan Roberts, I am a proud Yuin and Bundjalung woman, who was fortunate enough to be born on Country in a small town called Nowra. I am a current 5th year medical student with less than 16 months left in my journey into medicine. I spent my whole childhood and teenage years living on Country, I was raised in Community and learnt the core values of my Cultural Identity from a very young age.

As a Saltwater woman, there is nothing more than the sounds of the ocean and the feeling of the sand to humble me and make me feel connected. My journey is still at the beginning of a long career but hopefully somewhere along that journey I will move into a speciality of Ophthalmology. However, for now, I am pushing towards my short term goals of finishing university, get an internship at a good hospital and taking opportunities to help mob out in Communities.

When my nan tagged me in a Facebook post about an Indigenous medical scholarship, I felt a deep sense of purpose. Growing up, I was often reminded to avoid reading comments on Indigenous news articles due to the harmful prejudice they contained. But this time, I read them. What I saw hurt—questions about our intelligence, our ability to practice medicine, and whether Aboriginal doctors could be trusted. Rather than discouraging me, these comments reinforced my resolve to pursue a career in medicine.

They highlighted the critical need for representation and why my role as an Indigenous doctor extends far beyond clinical knowledge.  For over 60,000 years, our Ancestors have practiced holistic healing through a profound understanding of Land, Kinship, and Community. As an Aboriginal doctor, I will blend traditional health perspectives with Western medicine to offer culturally safe, patient-centred care. True healing requires more than diagnosing disease—it involves understanding lived experiences, historical trauma, and the systemic barriers impacting Indigenous health outcomes.

A key issue in Indigenous healthcare is accessibility. Many in our Communities struggle with a health system that doesn’t meet their needs. I aim to improve this system, whether through direct patient care, advocacy, or policy reform. I am committed to working in rural and remote communities, where chronic disease, mental health issues, and preventable illnesses are disproportionately high.

I also aspire to mentor the next generation of First Nations doctors. Through mentorship and community engagement, I will support others in overcoming the barriers I have faced and increase Indigenous representation in healthcare. My mission is to heal our People and transform pain into belonging.

The first six months of this year have felt like the beginning of the final stretch of a very long journey. As a final year medical student, it has been exciting, overwhelming, rewarding and, at times, quite daunting. Knowing that graduation is getting closer has made everything feel more real. Instead of simply studying medicine, I have started imagining what it will be like to actually be the doctor responsible for making decisions, caring for patients and managing the uncertainty that comes with clinical practice.

The biggest emotion I have experienced this year has probably been a mix of excitement and self-doubt. My final exams are only a few weeks away, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. There are days when I feel confident and realise how much I have learned over the past few years, and there are other days when I wonder if I know enough or if I’ll ever feel truly ready. I have come to realise that these feelings are probably a normal part of reaching the end of medical school. Medicine is such a vast field that I don’t think anyone ever feels completely prepared, and learning to be comfortable with that uncertainty is part of becoming a safe doctor.

Clinical placements this year have reminded me why I chose medicine in the first place. Every patient has a story, and being trusted to play even a small role in their care has been incredibly rewarding. I have enjoyed seeing how the knowledge I’ve spent years building is finally starting to come together in real clinical situations. There is still so much to learn, but I can recognise that I have grown in both confidence and clinical reasoning since I first started this degree.

Outside of medicine, this year has also been one of personal growth. Like everyone, life hasn’t stopped just because I have exams approaching. There have been challenges, moments of uncertainty and times where balancing everything has felt difficult. One of the brightest parts of this year has been bringing home a new puppy. Although raising a puppy while preparing for final exams probably wasn’t the easiest timing, it has brought so much happiness into my life. Having something that forces me to step away from my desk, go for a walk and simply enjoy the moment has been a reminder that life exists outside textbooks and hospitals.

Looking back on these first six months, I have no regrets about choosing medicine. It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but also one of the most meaningful. This degree has challenged me academically, emotionally and personally, and it has shaped me into someone who is more resilient, compassionate and adaptable than I was when I first began.

As I head towards my final exams and the transition into internship, I know there will continue to be moments of doubt. I don’t expect to feel completely ready, but I do trust the journey that has brought me here. Over the past few years, I have learned that being a good doctor is not about knowing everything—it is about being willing to keep learning, asking questions and always putting patients first. That is something I hope to carry with me into the next chapter of my career.