Image (left to right): Selwyn Te Paa, Samuel Llyod, Hinewairoa McCleery, Sara Lai, Emily Mason, Nasya Thompson, Emma Espiner, Christina Gordon, Sarah Bormann and John Batten

 

Six prevocational Indigenous doctors were helped on their way to becoming surgeons after being awarded scholarships at the RACS ASC in Adelaide in May.

Every year RACS selects standout Aboriginal, Torres Strait Island and Māori prevocational doctors and medical students for support. The scholarships help cover the cost of registering for JDocs; developing clinicial, research and academic skills; participating in the ASC and other RACS programs and meetings; joining Indigenous health conferences; and other professional development activities. 

The scholarships are part of the College’s commitment to Indigenous health and aim to encourage the best and brightest Indigenous doctors into surgical careers.

This year five Māori doctors and one Aboriginal doctor were awarded scholarships. Three additional scholarship recipients were formally recognised after their scholarships were deferred due to COVID-19 disruptions.

Dr Selwyn Te Paa was one of this year’s Māori recipients. He’s a first-year doctor working at Wellington Hospital in Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) and aspires to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and health equity researcher.

What he values most about the award was the opportunity to connect with likeminded doctors from Aotearoa and Australia, and particularly to meet some of his heroes including Professors Kelvin Kong and Jonathan Koea.

“I’ve looked up to Prof Koea since I was a youngin. It was cool to meet him formally. 

“Guys like them [Professors Kong and Koea] are really motivated to help connect with us [Indigenous aspiring surgeons] and help us succeed. They weren’t afforded that support. They don’t want us to have to slog it out alone like they had to.

“Guys like them have done the hard yards by creating opportunities for others [Indigenous people in the health sector] and building up the literature on Indigenous health.”

With a father who was a health manager and a mother who was a healthcare assistant, Dr Te Paa always knew he wanted to work in medicine. Cardiothoracic Surgery is of particular interest to him as it is an area of health where there are clear inequities. Māori are more than twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease than non-Māori and are 1.5 times more likely to die from stroke.

“Studies show time and again that patient outcomes are better when the healthcare workforce looks like the communities it serves,” he says.

Dr Emily Mason is currently working as a General Surgery Senior Resident Medical Officer in her hometown of Port Macquarie, New South Wales. She won the ASC scholarship in 2020/21 and says it is awards like this that validate the goals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people like herself.

“[It shows] us we have a place within the College and that the College is willing to support us getting into training and beyond.”

Dr Mason says growing up she saw first-hand the inequities faced by Indigenous Australians in accessing culturally safe healthcare. She sees working as a doctor within the system as a chance to advocate for change.

“Surgery is definitely where I see myself long term. [It] is a very unique career, where every day is different, every patient is very different. 

“One aspect of the job I love is the immense trust that our patients and their families have in us. It’s such a privilege to be in that position; to be part of some of the most vulnerable moments of people’s lives and that they trust us to help make that better.”

Having more Indigenous surgeons and clinicians generally is important for culturally safe care, advocacy, breaking down barriers, and inspiring younger generations, Dr Mason says. She does acknowledge however the barriers these individuals can face in pursuing medical careers, including financial, geographic, social, and racial. She credits her family and community with supporting her through her “whirlwind” journey towards a surgical career.

Find out more about Indigenous scholarships: https://bit.ly/Indigenousbrochure

 

ASC Award and Peer Support scholarships 2020 – 2023:
2023: Emma Espiner ASC Award Aotearoa New Zealand
2023: Selwyn Te Paa ASC Award Aotearoa New Zealand
2023: Samuel Lloyd ASC Award Aotearoa New Zealand
2023:  Sara Lai ASC Award Australia
2023: Nasya Thompson ASC Peer Support Award Aotearoa New Zealand
2023: Hinewaiora McCleery ASC Peer Support Award Aotearoa New Zealand
2020/21: Sarah Bormann ASC Award Australia
2020/21: Emily Mason ASC Award Australia
2020/21: Christina Gordon ASC Award Aotearoa New Zealand