AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship: Spotlight on Dr Amy Rosser
Applications for the 2024 Indigenous Medical Scholarship close on 31 January. This week past scholarship recipient Dr Amy Rosser shares her career story.
When it comes to providing rural healthcare for Indigenous communities, Dr Amy Rosser is in it for the long haul.
Dr Rosser is a rural generalist working in the Northern Territory and is a former recipient of the AMA’s Indigenous Medical Scholarship.
She has shared her career story in the hopes of inspiring young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to pursue a career in medicine.
Dr Rosser, a Gubbi Gubbi woman from southeast Queensland, received the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship in 2005 — and while that was nearly 20 years ago, she has clear memories of the scholarship providing crucial financial assistance to help her thrive in her medical studies.
After initially undertaking three years of surgery training and then shifting to general practice, Dr Rosser was inspired to apply to work as a doctor in Antarctica.
She narrowly missed out on the job and was advised to gain more experience in rural healthcare.
So that is exactly what she did — only now she has no intention of re-applying for Antarctica.
“I found the most remote job I could find and came out to central Australia — based in Alice Springs but working out in the Aboriginal communities,” Dr Rosser said.
“I really, really loved it and never applied for Antarctica again.”
Dr Rosser has spent the last eight years in Alice Springs and now primarily travels each week to Yuendumu — nearly 300km northwest of Alice Springs — caring for the community’s wide range of health needs.
“Indigenous Australians in the remote areas of Central Australia often have multiple health service needs. In remote communities, people are affected by a range of health conditions, which is why a doctor being available to provide high level medical care within the community can make a big difference and support the delivery of care closer to home,” Dr Rosser said.
“People in these communities are used to doctors and nurses coming and going every year, but when they’ve got someone who stays there for a long time, that has a very positive effect on their sense of wellbeing and this builds confidence and trust for people to seek out healthcare.
“It takes a couple of years before people start to trust you. Being able to stay (in the community) has made a big difference in that now I have a lot of trust from people.”
Dr Rosser hopes more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can study medicine and then return to their own communities to work.
“Truly understanding the challenges and needs of Indigenous communities is vital to being able to provide culturally appropriate care,” Dr Rosser said.
As for her advice to young First Nations peoples?
“Go for your dreams — step outside your comfort zone. For me, it was really scary coming out somewhere so remote, but there’s support available and people to help you. And you won’t learn new skills until you try,” she said.