NAIDOC Week 2018, has the theme 'Because of Her, We Can!'.
What a great opportunity to celebrate the significant role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play in our society.
As a commitment under our national Reconciliation Action Plan, and in an effort to grow an appropriate and skilled rural health workforce, the RFDS provides financial support through scholarships to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health students to undertake a clinical placement in a remote and rural Australia.
Amanda, was one of the recipients of our scholarships and we would like to recognise her achievements and passion for Aboriginal and Paediatric Health. Here is what she had to say about her experience:
"Last year I was lucky enough to be one of the recipients of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health scholarship. This scholarship gave me the opportunity to complete my third year paediatric placement at Alice Springs hospital in the Northern Territory.
I chose this particular placement as I have in interest in Aboriginal health and paediatric health and I wanted to get more experience and insight into the rewards and challenges of working in remote locations. I spent four weeks in Alice Springs where I saw many paediatric presentations that I would have not have had the opportunity to see back in WA such as Strongyloides infection, chronic Suppurative Otitis Media, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Post Strep. Glomerulonephritis, Rheumatic fever, Rheumatic heart disease and chronic Suppurative lung disease which were common presentations in the Alice Springs paediatric ward.
This scholarship gave me an invaluable opportunity to work alongside, and learn, from highly trained and experienced professionals in the exact field of medicine that I hope to work in in the future. My chosen career path is to become a rural and remote generalist and to specialise in Aboriginal Health so I feel that this opportunity provided amazing opportunities for professional and personal development in an environment that offered many new learning experiences.
In addition, I got time to explore this beautiful part of the Northern Territory, visiting Uluru and attending the Alice Spring show, the Alice Springs Markets and experiencing many of the sights and sounds that make Alice Springs so unique!
I also met some new friends and networked with some of the incredibly dedicated professionals that live and work in Alice Springs. It is thanks to this scholarship that I was able to have these opportunities, without which, I never would have had the benefit of this clinical placement."
