My name is Tiana James, and I am a proud Darkinjung woman. I completed a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences straight after finishing school through the CDU program, which provided me with direct entry into the Flinders NT Medical Program. I am now in my second year of medicine at Flinders University, working towards a career in rural and remote medicine.

For six years, my family and I travelled across Australia, spending time in remote communities and experiencing first-hand the challenges of healthcare access in these areas. This time gave me a deep appreciation for the resilience of these communities, as well as an understanding of the barriers they face, from limited medical resources to geographical isolation.

These experiences have shaped my desire to work in remote regions, where I can provide care that is both practical and culturally appropriate. I am particularly interested in improving healthcare accessibility and supporting sustainable solutions for rural communities. With my medical training, I hope to contribute to ensuring that people in remote areas receive the quality care and support they need.

As an Indigenous woman in my second year of medicine, I am deeply committed to improving health outcomes in Indigenous communities, particularly in remote areas. Growing up, my family travelled through these regions, exposing me to the challenges of limited healthcare access, scarce resources, and culturally unsafe environments. These experiences have shaped my passion for working in underserved locations.

With a Bachelor of Clinical Science and ongoing medical training, I aim to address healthcare disparities by providing culturally safe, accessible, and responsive care. I understand the mistrust many Indigenous communities feel towards Western medicine and will work to build trusting relationships by integrating cultural values into clinical practice.

Preventive care and health education will be central to my approach, empowering individuals to manage their health long-term. Additionally, I recognise the need for sustainable healthcare solutions, whether through direct patient care, training local health workers, or advocating for better infrastructure.

My upbringing has instilled in me the resilience, adaptability, and commitment required for remote healthcare. I am determined to use my skills, cultural understanding, and lived experience to make a meaningful difference, ensuring Indigenous communities receive the healthcare they deserve.

Semester 1 of Year 2 was a particularly intensive and fast-paced period of study. The academic load consisted of three consecutive blocks—Gastrointestinal (GIT), Endocrine and Reproductive (ERS), and Musculoskeletal (MSK) in addition to regular clinical skills sessions, anatomy practical’s and assessments. Each block was tightly structured with minimal breaks in between, which required consistent time management and adaptability.

Despite some challenges, I achieved strong results in all three summative exams. Each exam covered both theoretical knowledge and clinical application, and I felt that the integration of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and clinical reasoning was a strength of my preparation. I was also able to perform well in clinical skills assessments, passing both the history-taking/handover assessment and physical examinations. These exams required focused practice and familiarity with the ISBAR framework, targeted history strategies, and confident physical examination technique.

Throughout the semester, I found that staying on top of revision week-by-week, rather than relying on end-stage cramming, was essential for managing the volume of content. Clinical exposures such as flinders medical mentoring program helped consolidate my understanding, and exposure to patients with endocrine, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal issues provided important real-world context to the theoretical learning. This also gave me insight as to how the physical examinations I had been learning in clinical skills were applied in a clinical setting and adapted to each patient.

The mid-year break has been a good opportunity to rest and reset after a demanding semester. I went on a road trip to Queensland with my family, which provided a useful mental break from study and helped me return to Semester 2 with renewed focus. I’ve also used part of the break to consolidate key concepts from Semester 1 to better integrate them into clinical reasoning going forward.

I was pleased to receive my first preference for clinical placements next year and will be moving to Alice Springs as part of the MECA (Medical Education Central Australia) program in 2026. I am looking forward to the opportunity to experience rural and remote medicine and to further develop my clinical skills in a new setting. The placement aligns with my longer-term interest in gaining broader clinical exposure across different health contexts, including Indigenous health and hopefully continuing my studies to specialise in a field of remote medicine.

In summary, while the semester presented personal and academic challenges, I was able to manage them and maintain my academic performance. The combination of structured study strategies, clinical exposure, strong support systems, a variety of resources and resilience under pressure contributed to a successful Semester 1 outcome.