Indigenous Health Scholarship 2019
Flinders University, SA
Doctor of Medicine
Scholarship Awarded 2018
Sponsored by:
Ralf Goll Scholarship
How will I contribute to improving Indigenous health as a qualified medical practitioner or health worker?
Medicine has been a strong interest of mine since before starting university, however, I was not confident that I was smart enough to study medicine. I have had first-hand experience in hospitals due to my own injuries as well as being present when family members were in hospital with chronic illnesses. The sheer amount of knowledge that doctors had was fascinating to me - though the short falls were easy to see especially with patient communication and conveying empathy towards vulnerable and disadvantaged people. I studied an Arts undergraduate degree straight out of high school, majoring in International Studies and Sociology. I successfully completed the alternate pathway into medicine with Flinders, with encouragement from family, concurrently in the last semester of my undergraduate degree.
I recognise the importance of having a safe space where my people can address any health issues and be treated with the utmost respect. My overall goal is to educate myself so that I am able to bring knowledge back to my community and any other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community that I have the ability to work in and contribute to.