Curtin University has launched a new scholarship to help more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students become doctors and grow Western Australia’s Aboriginal medical workforce.
Developed by Curtin Medical School, the Moombaki Medicine Scholarship will provide financial support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying medicine for the duration of their degree, helping to reduce barriers to education and enabling them to focus on their goal of becoming a doctor.
Moombaki is derived from the Noongar phrase meaning horizon or “where the river meets the sky” — symbolising connections, aspirations, and shared future.
Curtin Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Professor Jonathan Bullen said the Moombaki Medicine Scholarship would address community healthcare needs by investing in and growing the State’s Aboriginal medical workforce.
“Helping more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students become doctors is vital to closing the health gap, strengthening culturally informed healthcare and inspiring more Aboriginal students to pursue medicine,” Professor Bullen said.
In addition to financial assistance, students will receive mentoring through the Aboriginal Health team.
Curtin Medical School Aboriginal Health Director Louise Austen said the Moombaki Medicine Scholarship reflected Curtin’s commitment to equity initiatives and would improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctor retention and graduation rates.
“Curtin believes that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctor we train today becomes tomorrow’s horizon where Country meets healing,” she said.
“The name Moombaki is especially meaningful as this scholarship looks towards a stronger future for Aboriginal medical students, doctors, and communities.”
Professor Yvonne Anderson, Dean and Head of Curtin Medical School, said the scholarship would help build a pipeline of medical practitioners for rural and remote regions and Aboriginal communities facing critical workforce shortages.
“These scholarships will make a meaningful contribution to the State’s healthcare system at a time of growing demand for highly skilled, culturally aware practitioners, while enabling future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors to pursue their studies, stay focused on their goals and realise their dreams,” Professor Anderson said.
First-year medical student Sanoe Barnes said the scholarship was a gamechanger that would help more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students view medicine as an achievable pathway.
“This scholarship provides more than financial support, it gives students the freedom to pursue their goals with stability,” she said.
Students who are entering the five-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Entry Pathway are eligible to apply for the Moombaki Medical Scholarship.
Interested applicants can find out more about the new scholarship by emailing scholarships@curtin.edu.au phoning 1300 222 888 or visiting here.
