
Dr Yvonne Chang’s journey to medicine wasn’t a direct one, but her travel experiences while studying agricultural research certainly cemented her wishes to work in regional and rural Australia....

After toying with the idea of becoming an investment banker, Daniel Van Der Merwe thought paramedicine would be the perfect mix for his personality and lifestyle. But it was during his first-year...

After successfully completing a nursing degree with three small kids and working full time, Nikki knew there was nothing stopping her from continuing her education and studying medicine. It wasn’t...

It wasn’t until Hayley Andreazza was completing her PhD in Chemistry and bringing up a young, sick child, that she considered a career in medicine. What she needed was a solid plan to help her...

Chelsey Avers spent a month in the emergency department of the tiny outback NSW town of Menindee –112 km south-east of Broken Hill. With no regular onsite doctor, Chelsey soon applied the skills...

Laura Beaumont’s life-long dream of becoming a doctor is on a road to reality as she completes her third year as a medical student at the University of Western Sydney. Her enthusiasm inspired her...

Samantha Boog’s dream to study medicine has had many a twist and turn. At school, she was told her marks wouldn’t be good enough – so she opted for pharmacy. Then she started having epileptic fits...

When Harry Gaffney was a young boy, medicine seemed like magic. He visited a doctor for a chronic ailment and suddenly, presto, problem fixed! Harry was hooked. Doctors were liked magicians and...

Tapiwa Mativenga was just seven years old when she and her family uprooted from Zimbabwe to settle in Wyalla, in South Australia. But already at this young age, Tapiwa had made up her mind. She was...

Emma Byrne – Doctor Emma Byrne now - was far from sure that she had “what it takes” to become a doctor. But a serious bike accident, followed by a year of ongoing medical treatment, gave her plenty...

Lucas Quinn spent years as a nurse before finally making the switch to medical school. As a mature-age student it has been a steep learning curve. Life’s a challenge as Luke strives to...

A few short years ago, Joseph Beaton was a teacher. But things weren’t right, he wasn’t satisfied in his career choice. He had already given up on the idea of being a pilot, a radio DJ or even a...

When Hazara-born Kumail Jaffry was a young boy, recently arrived from Pakistan and on holiday with his family, his youngest brother dropped boiling water on his legs requiring an urgent dash to...

Growing up with a GP mother as her role model, studying medicine could have seemed like an obvious choice for Amy Thwaites. But it didn’t cross her mind. A career in performing arts took...

Joseph Freeman has taken a circuitous route to studying medicine and his advice to others is not to panic if you don’t get into medical school first time. There are so many different ways to get...

No calling from a young age, no chemistry in high school, yet Lachlan Carroll is now a third year Monash undergraduate studying in Mildura and he’s embracing his medical career. But he was slow off...

When Lily Hogan was growing up on her family’s sheep and cropping farm at Bethunga in the Riverina, she had no-one to influence her towards medicine. But the idea started to dawn on her while she...

She was told to lower her sights, that medicine was too big a stretch. But that just made Leah-Monique Dowling all the more determined to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor – and...

Radiography seemed likely, then there was a stab at architecture. But it was medicine that finally attracted Angus McGinness to his long term career. His biggest message: you don’t have to be...

What do you do when you love jazz saxophone and you love medicine? Both, of course! That’s what Anna Leckie did in pursuing a first degree in music before heading straight into medicine. Now she...

How does a city girl and professional cyclist find a passion for rural medicine – and how could not speaking Norwegian change an entire career path? But that’s been the case for one student whose...

Even in primary school Bree Gardoll had started thinking about being a doctor. There were no doctors in her Goondiwindi family but with the encouragement of family and friends, and with a lot of...