Lumen Winter 2018 - Flipbook - Page 5
Left: Dr Claudia Paul
Photo by Jo-anna Robinson
“TO HAVE STARTED
UNIVERSITY JUST AFTER
REBECCA WAS ANNOUNCED
AS A RHODES SCHOLAR FELT
VERY SPECIAL TO ME. TO
WALK THAT PATH, KNOWING
THAT OTHERS HAVE ALREADY
WALKED IT – IT SOMEHOW
FEELS A LITTLE EASIER NOW,
MORE OBTAINABLE.”
“I thought I might as well bite the bullet and
do the full research degree now rather than
having to come back to it.”
Oxford was receptive, and at the start of
October Dr Paul will begin a three-year
research program looking at synthetic bone
scaffolding. It’s a fascinating topic, and one
that fits nicely with her desire to develop
knowledge and skills that will be of great use
when working in rural areas.
Raised in Broken Hill, she is only too aware
of how regional services compare with
those in the city.
“I worked in a pharmacy for four years
and spent time with the district nurses and
medical students. You get a pretty good feel
for what’s available, especially when family
members get sick. You can wait for the one
specialist who comes once every two months
or make the effort to travel to Adelaide,
Mildura or Sydney.”
Despite this, it was not until late in Year
12 that Dr Paul contemplated a career
in Medicine; in fact she only sat the
Undergraduate Medicine and Health
Sciences Admission Test (UMAT)
because it was a prerequisite for one of
the physiotherapy programs for which she
applied. The University of Adelaide offered
her a place in the Bachelor of Medicine and
Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and she hasn’t
looked back since.
During her time at University, she was a
student representative with the Australian
Indigenous Doctors Association, was active
in a mentoring group that fostered links
between Indigenous medical students
and medical practitioners, and completed
overseas placements in the UK and Vietnam
(where the ward rounds and case notes
were in Vietnamese only).
In 2015, she was named Young Citizen of
the Year for Broken Hill.
Dr Paul is the University of Adelaide’s 110th
Rhodes Scholar since 1904. The Scholarship
perpetuates the commitment to learning,
research and humanity of businessperson
and philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, who
died in 1902, leaving his estate to fund
the Scholarship.
Candidates are selected on the basis
of outstanding intellect, character,
leadership and commitment to service.
The Scholarships support students who
demonstrate strong propensity to emerge as
‘leaders for the world’s future.’
She also took rural medical placements in
Port Augusta, Whyalla, Broken Hill and
Bourke, and after graduating decided to
complete her intern year in Newcastle
because of the strong trauma capability in
the Hunter New England Local Health
District. She will complete her Master
of Traumatology at the University of
Newcastle in June.
Alumni Magazine ~ Winter 2018
3
