General News
26 November, 2024
Former Woomelang medical student wins prestigious national academic award
Regional health wins for soon-to-be doctor Jemma Abraham.
In a time when regional hospitals and clinics are screaming out for more staff, one former Woomelang medical student has been awarded for flying the banner of rural health.
Jemma Abraham was announced as the winner of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia's Medicine Student of the Year award at a ceremony in Darwin.
The health student has completed all of her studies at the University of Melbourne's Rural Clinical School in Ballarat and will soon begin an internship at Grampians Health.
She was recognised for building the profile of rural health at the university and providing pathways for students to come to and, most importantly, stay in the regions.
Ms Abraham said she grew up "all over" Victoria, but settled at Ballarat after enrolling in Melbourne University's biomedicine program.
"I won't say that I wanted to do it from the start because I don't think I really did," Ms Abraham said.
"I tried a few other things, I tried business at uni, didn't like it, I was very bored."
Unlike others in her cohort, studying full-time in Melbourne was never really a big consideration for Ms Abraham, who soon learned she preferred the country lifestyle.
"It sounds really silly but I hate that people don't say hello to you when you walk past them. I am much more of a community kind of person and I feel like that is what it comes back to for me," she said.
Studying out of the Ballarat campus, Ms Abraham quickly saw a lack of rural health options for students at the university and decided to make a change.
She became president of the university's Outlook Rural Health Club, and through the committee set about having rural health become a larger part of its annual medical student conference.
"A few years ago they barely had any rural health content, and I wasn't happy with it," Ms Abraham said.
"A colleague of mine who was graduating said 'This doesn't exist, we need to take it further'. I said 'I am mad, so yeah I am interested'. Then I went on a bit of a journey."
She also worked to deliver a Rural Careers Camp for penultimate and final year medical students throughout her postgraduate degree, establishing pathways once not open to students.
"I suppose now why I like medicine is more about the impact I can make particularly in rural communities. I am really passionate about that," Ms Abraham said.
"I think having grown up in them I know firsthand what that looks like, the impact it can make and the difference it can have."
Ms Abraham will stay in Ballarat past her post-graduate degree, with an internship at Grampians Health.
She said the key to bringing and retaining medical students in the regions was to get in early, and get them involved in the community.
"I have been so lucky to meet lots of different people who have been an inspiration and have helped me along my journey," Ms Abraham said.
"If you can actually do your training in a regional place you can settle, be a part of a community, part of a town and create a life for yourself. I think people can give it a go."