{"id":30209,"date":"2026-02-05T12:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T04:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&#038;p=30209"},"modified":"2026-02-05T14:58:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T06:58:39","slug":"curtin-delivers-three-aboriginal-doctors-from-country-to-clinic","status":"publish","type":"media-release","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/media-release\/curtin-delivers-three-aboriginal-doctors-from-country-to-clinic\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtin delivers three Aboriginal doctors from Country to clinic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Â鶹ֱ²¥ has celebrated a powerful milestone this week with the graduation of three Aboriginal doctors, driven by a deep commitment to help Close the Gap and support rural and regional communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jaaron Davis, Daisy Alps and Arkayla McPhee will now begin their careers as doctors, joining Western Australia\u2019s healthcare system at a time of growing demand for skilled and culturally aware practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Curtin delivers three Aboriginal doctors from Country to clinic\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9bI5ESNtLcQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The trio completed the five-year, full-time Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery undergraduate degree at Curtin Medical School, on the University\u2019s Bentley Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curtin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/leadership\/vice-chancellor\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/leadership\/vice-chancellor\/\">Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne<\/a> congratulated the graduates, saying the achievement was a source of immense pride for the University and reflected the importance of widening pathways into medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIncreasing the number of Aboriginal doctors is essential to closing the health gap, strengthening culturally informed healthcare and inspiring the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals,\u201d Professor Hayne said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe graduation of Arkayla, Daisy and Jaaron from Curtin Medical School is not only a personal triumph for each of them, but a significant moment for our healthcare system and the Curtin community looks forward to seeing what these remarkable graduates achieve as they embark on their medical careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7591-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7591-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7591-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7591-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">L-R: Curtin Medical School graduates&nbsp;Jaaron Davis, Arkayla McPhee and Daisy Alps with Curtin&nbsp;Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Jonathan Bullen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kalkadoon, Waanyi, and Eastern Arrernte graduate Jaaron Davis said becoming an Aboriginal doctor was a deeply meaningful moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt stands as a testament to resilience and the enduring belief that education can create real change. For my family, this is not an individual success but a collective one, grounded in culture and community. It represents the realisation of dreams carried across generations and reflects the strength of my Filipino and Aboriginal heritage,\u201d Dr Davis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 23-year-old will begin his medical career in Broome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wanted to become a doctor because my life has been shaped by walking between different worlds and witnessing the stark inequities that exist between them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGrowing up in the Kimberley, and later navigating life in the city, taught me that the people and places around you shape who you become. That realisation transformed my motivation into purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quandamooka Ngugi graduate Daisy Alps said she chose to study medicine to support her people, the way they have always supported her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are still huge inequities within the healthcare system and part of that is having such a small number of healthcare staff being representative of the communities they\u2019re treating,\u201d Dr Alps said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy cultural understanding and knowledge can help create a safer space for Aboriginal patients in healthcare settings, and I want to be an advocate for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 25-year-old plans to specialise in children\u2019s or women\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeing a doctor has a lot of influence in the medical space, so I hope I can use this to advocate for better healthcare for my people and culturally secure healthcare,\u2019 Dr Alps said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yamatji and Njamal graduate Arkayla McPhee said she had her heart set on becoming a rural generalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy plan is to gain a wide range of clinical skills and experiences in the city to build my clinical confidence, before returning to work in rural and remote settings. I\u2019m particularly interested to pursue additional training in areas such as critical care and Aboriginal health,\u201d Dr McPhee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 27-year-old knew she wanted to become a doctor after working as a medical receptionist not long after finishing high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn this role, I was confronted with the realities of end stage chronic disease in a way I had never seen before. It sparked a strong desire to work in healthcare and to give back to my community,\u201d Dr McPhee said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThroughout my studies, I developed a clear sense of purpose to become a clinician who delivers culturally safe, compassionate, and equitable care. I want to support my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients during vulnerable and challenging times and create positive healthcare experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs an Aboriginal doctor, I want to be part of meaningful change and contribute to Closing the Gap for our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curtin Medical School welcomed its first students in 2017 with a strong emphasis on primary care to position graduates for rural and remote practice, as well as outer suburban locations, where there is an acute shortage of doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than one in five Curtin Medical School graduates this year were supported by scholarships, including some funded through the University\u2019s generous philanthropic community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe deeply value the impact of these scholarships, which empower tomorrow\u2019s leaders to pursue their studies, stay focused on their goals and realise their dreams,\u201d Professor Hayne said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The graduates worked closely with Aboriginal alumni from Curtin Medical School who provided mentoring and cultural guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All three doctors officially crossed the stage on 3 February 2026 at a graduation ceremony held on the University\u2019s Bentley Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about Curtin Medical School, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/learning-teaching\/health-sciences\/curtin-medical-school\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/about\/learning-teaching\/health-sciences\/curtin-medical-school\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Â鶹ֱ²¥ has celebrated a powerful milestone this week with the graduation of three Aboriginal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4490,"featured_media":30212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"4833,6136,4870,6608,6844,6438","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":1053,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1053,115,79],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-30209","media-release","type-media-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-awards-and-achievements","category-health"],"acf":{"experts":false,"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"","content":"","image":false},"related_courses":[{"title":"","qualification":"","link":"","description":"","faculty":""}],"credits":{"author":"","photographer":"","media":[29455,24388]},"display_author":true,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Curtin-graduates-2-1000x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Thomas","display_name":"Laura Thomas"},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release\/30209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/media-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media-release\/30209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30209"},{"taxonomy":"research-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-areas?post=30209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}