My name is Laura Cauchi, and I am a proud mother to three young boys, a Registered Nurse and dedicated Medical student who has a passion for helping others. Growing up I was blessed enough to be raised in Western Sydney where I was emersed in both the Aboriginal and Maori culture which has given me an ongoing appreciation and respect to the connection family has in the provision of holistic healthcare.

As a Doctor my goal is to relocate to a rural or remote location where I can provide healthcare to communities which need stable and safe healthcare which embodies principles such as cultural safety, kinship, and connection to land. Furthermore, I wish to pursue training as a rural generalist with a special interest in obstetrics and gynaecology services. In addition to this, I would also like to provide culturally safe end of life care to mob which embodies the traditional beliefs and customary practices to take place in a setting which is comfortable and appropriate for the family and individual involved.

I guess you can say my goals are quite diverse, but to close the gap I believe they need to be diverse to ensure nobody is left behind.

Year two of medical school has been a blast. I commenced semester one early February with a lump in my throat knowing that this was said to be the hardest semester of medical school to date. In usual Laura fashion I was faced with trials and tribulations throughout staring with COVID, multiple surgeries and sick children. I often had moments of doubt where I thought what on earth had I gotten myself into or why was I the one suffering after a car accident which an unlicenced driver had hit myself and my young son leaving devastating injuries. Yet, it never lasted and my ongoing drive and passion to become a Doctor for myself, my community and for my young children prevailed and I continued to work hard to ensure I gave myself the best chance possible at being successful not only in terms of passing but also in my ability to maintain significant amounts of knowledge which was the most important aspect of the semester for myself moving forward.

I made a study plan which included eight hours of study a day, as well as passive learning through only engaging and watching videos which where specific to what I was learning in the week at university. At times this was not enough; due to extra work needing to be done. So, I would adjust accordingly and allocate time to these specific tasks in order to not fall behind.

I then allowed weekends as my time to unwind and enjoy things other than university which allowed for myself to recharge and come back the following week ready to tackle the large study load. Overall, being organised and reminding myself why I was doing the course was paramount to ensuring I was on top of my work and did not lose sight of my aspirations in all the chaos.

When I reflect on the semester, I can’t help but think about all the people who have made this possible. Of course, my tenacious nature has ensured I made it through, but without the financial support of my amazing sponsors Julia and Paul, and my family who support myself and my children I would not be here with such a great outcome. I am forever grateful and inspired by the support I have been given and I hope to make Julia, Paul and my family proud of my achievement’s and the Doctor I endeavour to become.