Growing up in the small mid-North Coast community of Telegraph Point instilled a deep understanding of the strength, and vulnerability, of rural Australia. With just 600 people, Country Education Foundation (CEF) student, Luka, said the town was like one big extended family.
"The closeness of our community became especially evident during bushfires and floods, when the community came together to support families who lost homes, stock and livelihoods overnight. This is where my strong commitment to rural communities came from."
Now, a fourth-year Doctor of Medicine student at the University of New England (UNE), his pathway to medicine has been driven by lived experience and resilience.
When his brother was diagnosed with a chronic eye condition, the family regularly travelled more than five hours to Sydney for specialist care; an experience that highlighted to Luka the stark gap between rural and metropolitan health services. After starting a Paramedicine degree, and motivated by firsthand exposure to healthcare inequity, Luka was then accepted into the Joint Medicine Program.
But studying Medicine as a regional student brings significant financial barriers. Constant relocations, extended unpaid placements and mounting travel and accommodation costs place pressure on even the most determined students, like Luka.
Support through CEF arrived at a pivotal moment. With placement across four locations in the space of a year, funding through CEF allowed Luka to complete compulsory student placements without worrying about how to afford basic living expenses.
"This grant allowed me not to worry about daily living costs, such as rent and petrol, freeing up my time to focus on my study and goals," Luka explains.
Because of CEF support, Luka remains on a clear pathway to rural practice.
"I'm planning to become a rural generalist so I can make a real difference in a rural community," he says, with plans to train and work in regional NSW hospitals, such as Dubbo and Orange.
""I can't thank CEF enough for the support they have continued to provide. My dreams and goals would not be possible without CEF support and they truly make career aspirations possible for young people in rural and regional Australia."
Luka MarshallHastings Education Fund
It is clear, CEF support doesn't just help a student, like Luka, succeed. It helps secure the future of rural communities.
