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From late-night study sessions to learning how to cook, Damien’s journey into medicine is as much about personal growth as it is academic. He shares how he’s building community, staying motivated, and navigating the ups and downs of uni life with curiosity and heart.
After moving to Australia at age eight, Damien’s journey to medicine has taken him from Port Hedland to Perth, with a few detours (and a few two-minute noodles) along the way.
Second-year Curtin medicine student Damien always knew he liked science, but it wasn’t until high school that he realised he liked talking to people even more.
“I’m a bit of a yapper, so I figured I needed a career that let me do both.”
It was a conversation with his grandma, a nurse, that helped steer him towards medicine. She warned that it was a big road to take on, but his dad reminded him that anything worth doing would be hard. This sentiment was a main driver in his decision to pursue medicine, especially when his dad said, “If it’s what you want, you might as well go for it.”.
So far, he’s glad he did. Damien is thoroughly enjoying the degree, the busyness and the challenge, and finds that because there’s a clear goal that he is working towards, he feels determined.
After finishing high school in the Perth Hills, Damien moved into Kurrajong Village at Curtin, where he lives with three mates from his high school boarding days.
“It made the transition easier. We already had that sense of community.”
He also feels that closeness within the med school cohort. Taking many of his classes with the same people, he feels that he has gotten to know people quickly. With the many med clubs, like the Association of Medical Students, the Rural Outreach Health Club, the Curtin Surgical Association and the International Health Organisation, he has made friends with the same drive and passion.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Damien spent about ten years in Port Hedland before his family moved again to Queensland. Though he’s far from them now, he’s learning to embrace independence.
“The biggest challenge has honestly been learning to make food. You come home at 7pm after a long class, and it’s hard to keep the energy and stay motivated to cook. My mum’s probably reading this saying, ‘I told you so!’”
Other than the 2-minute noodle solution to his lack of energy to cook, there’s a lot of other new time management learning opportunities he is finding in living independently. Compared to high school boarding, where there was a schedule that determined his mealtimes, study times and free time, his independence now has a lot more freedom. Further, he’s taken on the responsibility of being the Vice President of the Curtin Association of Medical Students (CAMS). Dedicating time to this role has been difficult, as it takes a huge chunk of his time and energy, but being part of clubs is something that has brough him joy, friendships and new skills, so he finds it worthy.
Balancing work, uni and housework was hard to begin with, so he looks to look his ‘more organised friends’ as a blueprint, introducing him to new scheduling tools, like Google Calendar.
When he’s not battling his kitchen, Damien is busy with clinical skills classes and studying for both written and practical assessments, including OSCEs. Although he finds that his study is a lot of theory, he finds motivation in the moments where ‘it clicks’; when something from one study week connects to a new concept. These moments of learning connections have been encouraging and fuels his passion and love for study.
He’s also adjusting to a faster pace this year.
“In first year, we got a new topic every two weeks. Now it’s every week. It’s more content and higher expectations. I’m still figuring out how to balance everything, study, life, all of it.”
Outside of uni study, he does choir in a club, plays futsal in social sports, tutors other students and is considering taking up field hockey again. After he graduates, he would love to consider being a General Practitioner (GP) or look to specialise in cardiology but wants to keep his options open and continue to learn and try new things.
From Port Hedland to Perth, Damien’s journey into medicine has been full of learning curves, both in the classroom and the kitchen. Now thriving at Curtin, he’s embracing the challenge, building community, and chasing a future where he can keep learning and helping others.
