Second year medical student wins Fay Newell $5,000 Scholarship

Joshua grew up in Broken Hill and studied at Broken Hill High School before starting his Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences at Adelaide University last year. He aims to complete a Doctor of Medicine postgraduate.

He said he was honoured to be awarded this year’s scholarship. “I wasn’t expecting to win the scholarship and it is an honour, and I’d like to thank the late Ms Faye Newell and everyone for the opportunity,” said Joshua.

Whilst Joshua isn’t focussed on pursuing a particular field in medicine this early in his studies, but was sure he wants to return to practice in Broken Hill when he graduates.

“I definitely aim to come back to Broken Hill to live and work here as a doctor,” he said. He will apply to complete his clinical placements here whilst studying.

Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Far West LHD, Ms Wendy Gleeson, congratulated Joshua on behalf of the Faye Newell Scholarship Panel and health service.

“It’s always a pleasure to present a scholarship and particularly one in which will benefit the community in the long term,” she said. Ms Gleeson also thanks all the applications for this year’s scholarship.

The Fay Newell Scholarship is an annual award of $5,000 funded through a generous gift provided to the Broken Hill Health Service by the late Ms Fay Newell OAM.

Ms Newell was a nursing sister at the Broken Hill and District Hospital, having begun her nursing career there in 1954 and retired from nursing in 1991. In 2009, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Broken Hill as a nursing sister, mentor to nurses and allied health professionals, palliative care volunteer and historian. The previous year, she was named Broken Hill's Citizen of the Year in the annual Australia Day awards for her contribution to the community.  Ms Newell passed away in Broken Hill on 24 August, 2020. She was 82.

The scholarship is awarded to encourage excellence in the education and training of students in medicine, nursing, aged care or specialisation as a doctor or nurse to care for newly born infants and their mothers and fathers, care of toddlers, children and young adults.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be undertaking studies in one of the areas as listed above, and must reside and work in Broken Hill.

Joshua will use the scholarship to assist with costs associated for his studies.

The inaugural winner of the scholarship in 2022 was Broken Hill local Hayley Andreazza, who was in her final year studying medicine.