My name is Nathan Cash, I am a final year MD student at the University of Western Australia.   I was born and raised in country NSW before moving to Queensland with my family during my primary school years.   I did not always know I wanted to study medicine, but I always knew I wanted to one day return and work in rural Australia.   My heritage is that of Ngarigo Nation which spans throughout the alpine region of NSW/Victoria.   As a child I took many trips to Kunama Namadji (Snowy Mountains), at which time I developed a deep love for this region of Australia.   Before beginning my undergraduate degree, I worked a ski season at Mt Hotham, Victoria, rekindling my love for the mountains and the alpine regions of Australia.   I completed my undergraduate degree at the university of Sunshine Coast where I became interested in life sciences and decided to pursue a career as a health professional.  Accepting a Bonded Medical place to study medicine at the University of WA in 2020, with plans of returning to undergo my bonded return of service and rural generalist training on Ngarigo country.

This past year I have spent on placement with the Rural Clinical School of WA in Albany, a regional town on the south coast of WA where I gained valuable experiences both  practically and spiritually.  I ran a weekly clinic at headspace focusing on brief interventions for local youth suffering from mental health relating issues, many of the young people who sought support were local Menang Noongar.   During this time, I also undertook placement with the Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service, which was both educational and extremely rewarding.   This year I have signed on to be a director of the Ngarigo Nation Indigenous Corporation, a not for profit that aims to protect Ngarigo land, culture, tradition, an its peoples.

The UWA Doctor of Medicine model does not follow regular semesters as with other courses. The final year is made up of fulltime placements for the entirety of the year within training assessments built into each discipline. This year we do not have any mid-year exams, nor a mid-year break. This year to date I have completed several placements, I have also listed the assessment components of each below.

• Internal/general Medicine (renal team) St. John of God Subiaco
  • Structured Clinic Assessment (passed)
  • Work-based assessment – discharge summary (passed)
  • Clinical and professional rating (passed)
• Ear, nose and throat surgery Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital
  • Structured Clinic Assessment (passed)
  • Work-based assessment – IV fluid management (passed)
  • Clinical and professional rating (passed)
• Plastic surgery
  • Structured Clinic Assessment (passed)
  • Clinical and professional rating (passed)
• Dermatology
  • Structured Clinic Assessment (passed)
  • Online modules (passed)
• Emergency medicine Royal Perth Hospital
  • Structured Clinic Assessment (passed)
  • Work-based assessment – Admit a patient (passed)
  • Clinical and professional rating (passed)

I am currently in good academic standing and preparing for my final written and clinical examinations towards the end of September. I am currently on Rural GP placement and have 4 placements left which include Palliative Care, Anaesthetics/Pain, Oncology and a 7-week Preparation for Internship unit.

This year has had many ups and downs, but I am extremely grateful for the financial support the ARH Indigenous Health scholarship has provided. I have been able to cut back on work and focus on my studies and not have to worry about being able to pay rent on time, put fuel in my car and other costs of living. My knowledge grows more each and every day and it is liberating nearing the end of my training having the ability to help real patients rather then just be an observer as with the early years of medical school. I look forward to passing my final exams and entering the workforce as a medical intern in 2024, for which I have recently been offered a job with WA Country Health Service at Geraldton Health Campus. Once again I thank the Kalamunda Rotary Club for this Sponsorship and admire the great work Rotary Australia continues to do.