This article was written as part of a three part series for International Women's Day. You can also discover why there needs to be a Disney princess with a disability and how women in disability are challenging stereotypes.
I was born in Sri Lanka where doctors said I would never walk or talk. My parents came to Australia when I was about two years old, and it was in Melbourne where I learnt to walk and talk. I also attended mainstream schooling.
A career in medicine was not something I wanted to pursue when I was younger. I had other options in mind; I wanted to be an accountant like my parents, or a journalist because I loved to write.
But something about the art of medicine intrigued me. I became curious about the brain and the body and wanted to learn more. I loved the fact that this profession supported individuals in their most trying times. I also loved the idea and concepts of human connection. It all sat well with me.
It has made me compassionate and empathetic towards others. Yes, I understand that medicine is a challenging profession both physically and mentally. But I want to pursue it because of the great challenges it presents.
In my biomedical sciences undergraduate degree, I volunteered at a hospital. I was on the ward talking to patients, which was rewarding but challenging. I enjoyed sharing my insights and views to patients and listening to their stories. Seeing people in their most trying times was hard – it made me become emotional and sad at times. But I also felt satisfied and saw myself contributing to the field of medicine in some way.
I performed well in my undergraduate studies and went on to complete my honours. I am currently studying for my PhD.
I saw that people with a disability were severely underrepresented in medicine and needed some great advocates. So, I stood up to the challenge and pushed for changes in policies that are still very discriminative and quite hurtful to the disabled community.
I have had so many fears about doing this, but I’ve had to push through and go for it. I love to speak up for sensitive matters and create change where there is little voice and action.
The modern day father of neurosurgery Harvey Cushing said, “I would like to see the day when somebody would be appointed surgeon somewhere who had no hands, for the operative part is the least part of the work.”
I would like to see the truth of Dr. Cushing’s words come to life.
Jerusha is a writer, motivational speaker and is studying to become a doctor. She uses Hireup for support.