Griffith University and Rural Medical Education Australia (RuralMedEd) are excited to congratulate alumna Dr Mikaela Seymour on her listing in the Forbes “30 Under 30” Asia 2022.
This year’s Forbes list acknowledges a cohort of 300 young entrepreneurs, disruptors and stars in the Asia Pacific region. Among 4000 nominees, the judges recognised Dr Seymour’s social impact as a specialist in rural medicine and public health. In 2021, Dr Seymour led the Aerial Health Patrols delivering clinical care across Western Province, Papua New Guinea, and playing an instrumental role in the country’s COVID-19 response.
Dr Seymour is the founder of the Bush Dokta subcommittee (Project Yumi Charity), connecting health workers in PNG and Australia to deliver equipment and support to remote communities. Dr Seymour won a Queensland Young Achiever Award in 2021, and recently commenced full-time research as a postdoctoral fellowship at the Kirby Institute.
On receiving the honour Dr Seymour said: “Receiving the news that I had been selected for the list was hugely shocking, but exciting! For me, this affirms my career commitment to health equity in the Pacific region and beyond. Australia continues to make incredible advancements in health care, but the gap between what we can provide our patients in urban centres and the rest of the region continues to grow. COVID19 has shown us we are all interdependent and inter-related therefore need to focus on improving health outcomes throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
Dr Seymour’s achievements are a shining example of where a career in medicine can lead. Speaking about her path to studying medicine she said: “I was privileged to have a teacher who pointed me in the direction of medicine. Griffith University stood out as a school looking for applicants who could demonstrate a range of interpersonal, emotional and life skills, not solely focussed on high grades. They also offered training in new, state of the art hospitals, at Gold Coast University Hospital and Sunshine Coast University Hospital, and rural and remote training in places like Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region with RuralMedEd. This enabled me to have a whole spectrum of experiences, from the most advanced procedures to primary health care in small remote towns.”
Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry, Head of School and Dean of Medicine, Professor David Ellwood commented:
” The School of Medicine and Dentistry at Griffith University is extremely pleased to hear of this great achievement of one of our distinguished alumni. We hope that Mikaela will continue to build on the foundations she developed during her time studying medicine with us, and we look forward to hearing much more about her professional career as she progresses”
Professor Ellwood’s comments were endorsed by RuralMedEd CEO Assoc Professor Megan O’Shannessy who added: “Mikaela is an outstanding doctor, her commitment and advocacy to rural health is to be commended. We are very proud of the impact she makes in disadvantaged communities.”
