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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PIF members
As part of the Psychiatry Interest Forum, we offer specific supports, scholarship opportunities and educational materials if you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and are looking to begin a career in psychiatry.
Growing and empowering the First Nations psychiatry workforce is a primary focus area of the PIF program. First Nations PIF members are provided with many opportunities, such as:
- Reserve scholarship places to attend our PIF Retreat, PIF Introduction to Psychiatry Short Courses & RANZCP Annual scientific Congress program
- External Sponsorships to major AMSA & the annual AIDA conferences
- Access to resources and RANZCP’s e-learning platform, Learnit, as well as selected recordings of RANZCP and PIF activities
- Opportunity to apply for RANZCP’s gamadji nanggit (meaning – ‘emerging leader’) scholarship, funded by RANZCP Foundation
- Career guidance and networking opportunity with RANZCP Fellows and trainees, including First Nations members.
PIF First Nations scholars at RANZCP 2025 Congress
"Regarding the feedback for the Indigenous networking session, I really think it was so valuable. I feel a lot more could be done to promote psychiatry as it often gets little time in the medical curriculum. As we need more Indigenous psychiatrists, particularly as an important part of Closing the Gap, the PIF program has great potential to drive that recruitment."
The Indigenous networking session "felt very culturally safe and like I was able to ask any questions. They [First Nations psychiatrist] helped me feel more comfortable, I felt like I could be more casual with them and that definitely helped me ask more questions. I liked how they shared their experiences and they offered me support which reassured me greatly. They were inspiring. Overall was a very good session and it was my favourite out of all the networking ones."
Connect to mind, story and community
This resource provides information about psychiatry careers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and junior doctors.
It features artwork by Australia’s first Indigenous psychiatrist and RANZCP Fellow, Professor Helen Milroy. There are stories from current members on their journeys to psychiatry, information about the RANZCP Fellowship training program, and current supports available.
Hear from our First Nations PIF Members supported to attend AMSA 2025 selected conferences
Get involved
Kealey Watson Griffiths
Medical Student, University of Queensland
I applied to medical school with the intention of pursuing psychiatry after being exposed to psychology during my undergraduate studies. I first heard of the Psychiatry Interest Forum (PIF) in a student-run newsletter at The University of Queensland (UQ), where the 2023 PIF retreat was being advertised. I immediately applied, and a few weeks later, I received an acceptance email. I was working the opening night for a new exhibition at UQ’s Art Museum and let out an audible squeal in the gallery. After a few side glances from visitors and perhaps the fastest reply email I have ever sent, I confirmed that I would love to attend.
I was quite nervous to attend the retreat, having never attended a medical conference or event before. However, my nerves were quickly abated once I met some of the other medical students. The group was diverse, but we all connected on a few shared interests and hobbies. Many of us were frequent readers and interested in the intersection between the human experience and science, a few were keen runners and got up early to get a “group run” in (personally, I couldn’t think of anything worse), and almost every single one of us wanted to know how we could use our medical education and future careers to support and promote good mental health for our communities.
At the end of the retreat, I not only connected with like-minded peers, but also gained knowledge that few medical students have access to. Several leaders in the medical field shared their authentic experiences throughout medical school, the specialised training program, and their respective careers. Their openness confirmed my interest in psychiatry and made it seem much more attainable.
More recently, I was fortunate enough to also attend the RANZCP conference in Boorloo (Perth) and had an amazing experience that exceeded my already high expectations. The passion and commitment to psychiatry and mental health was evident in every talk I listened to and every space I walked into. Of particular interest to me were the talks on Indigenous and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) psychiatry and practice. Indeed, meeting Professor Helen Milroy, the first Indigenous psychiatrist, was an absolute highlight; she is an amazing woman who brings such cultural strength and humility to her work. As an Yuggera woman, she is someone I look up to, and I cannot stress enough how thankful I am to PIF and RANZCP for these opportunities.
I applied to medical school with the intention of pursuing psychiatry after being exposed to psychology during my undergraduate studies. I first heard of the Psychiatry Interest Forum (PIF) in a student-run newsletter at The University of Queensland (UQ), where the 2023 PIF retreat was being advertised. I immediately applied, and a few weeks later, I received an acceptance email. I was working the opening night for a new exhibition at UQ’s Art Museum and let out an audible squeal in the gallery. After a few side glances from visitors and perhaps the fastest reply email I have ever sent, I confirmed that I would love to attend.
I was quite nervous to attend the retreat, having never attended a medical conference or event before. However, my nerves were quickly abated once I met some of the other medical students. The group was diverse, but we all connected on a few shared interests and hobbies. Many of us were frequent readers and interested in the intersection between the human experience and science, a few were keen runners and got up early to get a “group run” in (personally, I couldn’t think of anything worse), and almost every single one of us wanted to know how we could use our medical education and future careers to support and promote good mental health for our communities.
At the end of the retreat, I not only connected with like-minded peers, but also gained knowledge that few medical students have access to. Several leaders in the medical field shared their authentic experiences throughout medical school, the specialised training program, and their respective careers. Their openness confirmed my interest in psychiatry and made it seem much more attainable.
More recently, I was fortunate enough to also attend the RANZCP conference in Boorloo (Perth) and had an amazing experience that exceeded my already high expectations. The passion and commitment to psychiatry and mental health was evident in every talk I listened to and every space I walked into. Of particular interest to me were the talks on Indigenous and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) psychiatry and practice. Indeed, meeting Professor Helen Milroy, the first Indigenous psychiatrist, was an absolute highlight; she is an amazing woman who brings such cultural strength and humility to her work. As an Yuggera woman, she is someone I look up to, and I cannot stress enough how thankful I am to PIF and RANZCP for these opportunities.
