Aboriginal community controlled organisations and community members alike have long been campaigning for the importance and necessity for autonomy and culturally appropriate care in the healthcare sector. With growing epidemics across all aspects of health, we as Indigenous Australians not only suffer increased rates of mortality and morbidity than other non-Indigenous peers, but we are also affected by the often inappropriate and inadequate care that we do receive. Through the combination of my previous public health training (Master of Public Health) and experience working in the Indigenous Health sector I hope to combine my medical degree to add to the breadth of my skills, allowing me to treat and medically care for my people as well as play a role in educating and preventing inappropriate and inequitable health outcomes within our mainstream health communities. Through these efforts, I hope to ensure that Indigenous patients experience evidence based medical care that is also culturally appropriate, empowering and compassionate.

My interest to participate and contribute to culturally appropriate healthcare largely stems from my family’s own personal story of child removal and forced adoption. Such trauma has ignited a commitment in me to challenge past Australian policies which are both grossly outdated and radically inappropriate in their lack of acknowledgement of Indigenous health need and ways.

I will use my role in this space to educate others around me to improve the knowledge and expertise that mainstream teams have, to provide other appropriately trained professionals that we Koori doctors can work alongside ensuring culturally safe practices across all aspects of care.

Midyear reports from the Coffs Harbour Hospital are positive! My training rotations have initially included general medical terms attached to the Rehabilitation and Neurology teams. Training in both the public and private hospitals has provided me with invaluable experience caring for patients from a variety of settings and backgrounds.

Preventative rehabilitation remains an interest of mine, especially having seen the need and benefit of patients who have excellent coordinated care from their General Practitioner to support and educate recovery and the prevention of worsening symptoms. Observing and participating in a regional lead team also remains a focus of my interest, continuing my commitment to work and training in remote settings and communities.

Other memorable teaching terms have included my Children’s Health rotation where I have been attached to private clinic rooms, hospital outpatient teams, day and night ward rounds as well as the Aboriginal Medical Health Service here in Coffs Harbour, Galambila. I was warmly welcomed by the Paediatric team, health service manager and thoroughly enjoyed training alongside the OT and Allied Health students and staff where we collaboratively assessed children for ear health issues, behavioural challenges, and respiratory illnesses. Honing my clinical skills with physicals exams was enjoyable and I am also grateful to be working within a team dynamic.

I am continuing to learn new and exciting methods for routine and complex medical conditions where I feel more confident in my abilities and clinical judgements.   The end of my 2 postgraduate years of study is in sight and I am welcoming the change that I know will come when I transition out of the University grounds as an independent Junior Medical Officer. It is still my intention to work in Community in regional settings as per the original scope of this Rotary project. I am honoured to continue this mission to role model this initiative and support the exceptional and generous work of Rotary Australia.