AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, today congratulated all Indigenous medical graduates around the country, with special mention to Murray Haar and Gemma Johnston, both recipients of the AMA Indigenous Peoples’ Medical Scholarship.
A/Prof Owler said the AMA is very proud of Murray and Gemma’s achievements, which will inspire more Indigenous students to pursue a career in medicine.
“The AMA hopes that Murray and Gemma’s success will lead to more Indigenous medical students applying for the 2015 AMA Scholarship,” A/Prof Owler said.
“Murray and Gemma are among 20 Indigenous men and women to become doctors since the scholarship began in 1994, many of whom may not otherwise have had the financial resources to study medicine.
“These wonderful doctors are now the pride of the medical profession and their communities, and role models for Indigenous Australians who want a career as a doctor or other health professional.
“An important part of closing the Indigenous health and life expectancy gap is to train a highly skilled medical workforce that includes more Indigenous doctors and health professionals.
“The AMA is proud to help increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the medical workforce.”
Murray Haar graduated from the University of New South Wales this week, and Gemma Johnston graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) at the end of November.
Both Murray and Gemma thanked the AMA for helping them through a long and challenging, but very rewarding journey.
“Receiving the AMA’s scholarship from third year onwards made it possible for me to survive financially as a medical student and to focus 100 per cent on my studies,” Murray said.
“The scholarship has supported me for the last three years and enabled me to give it everything I’ve got, especially over this last year.”
Gemma was the first UWA medical student to receive the scholarship.
“UWA’s Centre for Aboriginal and Medical Dental Health introduced me to the scholarship, and it has been immensely important to me,” Gemma said.
“It took the burden off wondering where I was going to get the money for rent, textbooks, or a new stethoscope after I broke mine.”
Murray now heads off to Albury Base Hospital to start his internship and residency, planning to later specialise in a mixture of anaesthetics and psychiatry to enable him to work in pain medicine.
Gemma is looking forward to undertaking her internship at Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital, and has many options to consider for the future.
“I’ve got too many ideas about specialisation. Rural general practice? Obstetrics? I can’t decide,” she said.
Scholarship recipients receive $10,000 each year for the duration of their course.
Applications for the scholarship must be received by 30 January 2015.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be currently enrolled at an Australian medical school, and be in at least their first year of medicine.
Applicants must be people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background.
For further information on how to apply for the 2015 AMA Indigenous Peoples’ Medical Scholarship, visitwww.ama.com.au/indigenous-peoples-medical-scholarship-2015
17 December 2014
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
Odette Visser 02 6270 5412 / 0427 209 753