The Australian Medical Association is pleased to announce applications for the 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship are now open, offering support for the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors.
For the past 30 years, the scholarship has helped grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce by supporting First Nations peoples who are enrolled in a medical degree at an Australian university.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the scholarship represented the AMA's longstanding commitment to fostering the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors, with the aim of improving access to culturally appropriate care for communities across Australia.
"I am particularly pleased to lead an organisation that is committed to encouraging the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors," Dr McMullen said.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain underrepresented in the medical profession, and this scholarship, which has been running for the past 30 years, is an important step in building a more inclusive and culturally safe health workforce.
"Over the years, the scholarship has supported many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have gone on to achieve incredible things in medicine and serve their communities with distinction."
Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association President Dr Simone Raye said: "We are thrilled to see applications open for the 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship which will aid an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical student to realise their dream in becoming a doctor."
"AIDA is proud to have a memorandum of understanding with the AMA to continually work together to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous doctors in Australia, and help to create a more inclusive and culturally competent healthcare system for all," Dr Raye said.
The scholarship is provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students who demonstrate a commitment to their community and to medicine. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a medical degree at an Australian university and have completed at least their first year of medicine. The value of the scholarship is $11,000 per annum, for each year of study for the remainder of the student's medical degree.
Thirty-eight applications were received for the 2024 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship — the highest number of applicants in its 30-year history. That scholarship was presented to Yuggera woman Kealey Griffiths at the AMA24 national conference .
Many past recipients have spoken publicly about the importance of the scholarship and how it helped them as young medical students. Professor Kelvin Kong, one of the first recipients in 1997, spoke about the importance of the AMA's Indigenous Medical Scholarship and how it helped him as a young medical student .
Dr Gemma Johnston , the 2008 scholarship recipient, shared her story of how she went on to become a Broome GP who runs a renal clinic, while 2005 recipient Dr Amy Rosser spoke about her career as a rural generalist in the Northern Territory.
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