Scholarship recipient champions culture in Indigenous healthcare
Myles McKenzie, one of three recipients of the 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship, shares the inspiration behind his goal to become a psychiatrist.
As Myles McKenzie sat in his local “men’s group” meetings, his eyes were opened to the systemic failures afflicting Aboriginal communities.
These failures became painfully clear as he listened to the stories of Aboriginal men who had committed serious criminal offences and were now seeking mental and spiritual rehabilitation.
Failures such as the lack of early intervention in cases of domestic violence, inadequate access to mental healthcare, and limited opportunities for quality education and employment were recurring themes.
Now 24, and a third-year medical student at James Cook University, Myles plans to pursue psychiatry to help address the gaps in mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
