I have achieved my dream, having been given the opportunity to study Medicine in 2000 at the University of Western Australia.
My son and I moved from the Kununurra in the Kimberley to commence my studies. The medical course was both personally and professionally challenging which I really enjoyed. I had the opportunity to return home to the Kimberley for my fifth year at the University of Western Australia Rural Clinical School.
After completing my intern year at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH), I then completed my resident year with SCGH which included six months in Kalgoorlie doing a Community Residency Placement and a Prevocational General Practice Placement at Derby. Following this, I applied to do General Practice training and started as a basic Registrar at the Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service in Kununurra through WA General Practitioner Education and Training. I stayed in Kununurra until I completed my subsequent term. I am now (November 2011) based at the Carbal Medical Centre in Toowoomba Queensland and have completed my GP exams and awaiting my results in early December 2011. I have been working mostly in Aboriginal health as I always planned, and intend to move back to the Kimberley in the future.
If you have the opportunity to study Medicine, I recommend it to anyone keen to make a difference in people's lives.