Aspiring paediatrician awarded Indigenous Medical Scholarship
A WA medical student who has her eyes set on a career in developmental paediatrics has been awarded an AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship to be presented at the AMA-AIDA Taskforce on Indigenous Health today.
Kahlie Lockyer, an accomplished artist and medical student at the University of Western Australia, has been awarded an AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship.
The scholarship will be presented at the AMA-AIDA Taskforce on Indigenous Health meeting today on Ngunnawal land in Canberra, where health leaders will discuss strategies to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly will address the taskforce, attended by representatives from the AMA, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
In a media release out today, Ms Lockyer said her heart is in developmental paediatrics with a focus on early intervention of health issues in young Indigenous children.
“I believe our children are our future, and if we can start with managing preventable diseases in young Indigenous children, then that can lead to them having a better education and better outcomes for their future,” Ms Lockyer said.
She also highlighted the importance of the scholarship, which she said offers more than just financial support.
“I felt that a significant organisation like the AMA investing in my studies on a national level has enhanced my confidence as well as reinforced that I am on the right path,” Ms Lockyer said.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the AMA had a long history of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to become doctors, with this scholarship running now running for 30 years.
With the end of the financial year around the corner, it is the perfect time to make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund.
This year, there was a record number of applications for the scholarship and with your help we can support even more First Nations medical students.
