Boots to scrubs - Empowering women to become ‘Country Docs’
The battle to bring more rural doctors to the bush has a new warrior. Thanks to an innovative new program launched by the Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA), young women from regional areas across Australia will soon be able to gain significant and targeted assistance to pursue a career as a rural doctor.
The aptly named ‘Boots to Scrubs: Rural Women in Medicine Scholarship’ has already attracted strong support from a range of organisations including the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and the NSW Medical Women’s Society (MWS) and has recently launched as a comprehensive social media, website and resource platform.
Founded and nurtured by rural medical students and AMSA Gender Equity Committee members, Chloe Campbell and Georgia Goodhew, the Boots to Scrubs concept is centred around engagement and mentorship with rural women, schools communities and hospital networks Australia wide.
Connecting as close friends in their inaugural year of medical studies at CSU in Orange, Chloe and Georgia swiftly discovered the striking parallels in their journey towards fulfilling their aspirations of becoming doctors. Their shared experiences of growing up in rural and remote areas, coupled with the scarcity of career mentorship opportunities, were all hurdles in their journey to becoming great doctors. Within both of their hometowns, connecting to a female role model was never on the cards for these girls, with Georgia stating “Growing up here gave me a bitter taste of what it’s like to have limited access to female medical role models. There was never anyone above me to provide the support or guidance I needed to consider a career as a female doctor”.
For Georgia, it was during her final years of study at Narrabri High School that two exceptional doctors would forever change the course of her life. Driven by their unyielding belief in her, along with their willingness to let her shadow them in their practice at Sydney, Georgia soon found the confidence and determination she needed to embrace the path towards medicine.
“It hits home for me - the challenges and lack of information surrounding how to enter the medical field, and what life in it actually looks like. '' says Georgia, “The information is available, but you have to go looking for it, and know where to look”. The Boots to Scrubs' website and social media accounts serve as valuable resources, collating all of the information into one easy location, offering insights into the GAMSAT/UCAT exams and diverse university pathways. “The ultimate goal is to ease the often-intimidating application process and to act as that catalyst for all other aspiring female country doctors out there.”
For Southern Monaro born Chloe, who is also a Registered Nurse, that catalyst came in the form of a Canberra Hospital anaesthetist, who tapped her on the shoulder one day during a placement round and suggested she consider a career in medicine. Now in her third year of medicine at CSU and based in Wagga, Chloe has just been awarded a Rural Doctor’s Network Medical Cadetship.
“I never even considered that I could study a degree like medicine,” Chloe explains, “because I struggled with dyslexia and never found traditional learning easy. But once I realised my true passion for rural medicine and regional health care through nursing, the long hours of study to become a rural Doctor became exciting rather than daunting. And with some amazing friends and mentors behind me, I have now developed a far stronger belief in my own abilities and a clear and determined focus on my future in country medicine.”
Boots to Scrubs is actively seeking partners who are equally dedicated to the cause of rural healthcare. As we prepare to introduce our inaugural $7.5k first-year scholarships in 2024, we are actively working to expand and promote our sponsorship opportunities. Our overarching goal is to make a substantial difference in the lives of aspiring medical students, by dismantling financial obstacles and nurturing talent from every corner of our nation.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES, please contact:
Georgia Goodhew
Marketing Officer | Gender Equity
Australian Medical Students' Association
Pronouns: she/her
M: +61 455 952 084 | E: georgia.goodhewl@bootstoscrubs.com
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, please contact:
Chloe Campbell
Vice Chair | Gender Equity
Australian Medical Students' Association
Pronouns: she/her
M: +61 478 608 450 | E: chloe.campbell@bootstoscrubs.com
