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Jennifer Gulson
Reflection: 2025 AMSA National Conference
Jennifer Gulson
Medical student 4th Year at James Cook University
I’m so thankful for the opportunity that PIF has provided me, as a medical student from James Cook University living in far North Queensland, attending AMSA 2025 in Sydney was my first AMSA experience, and one I’ll never forget. Coming from a rural and regional background, opportunities like this can often feel out of reach. I’m incredibly grateful to PIF for sponsoring my attendance; without your generous support, I simply wouldn’t have been able to participate. Their sponsorship not only covered the financial barriers but also made me feel recognised and supported as an aspiring Indigenous doctor from a rural location. As the week progressed, I relised that the value of this opportunity goes far beyond the financial; it’s opened doors, created connections, and deeply enriched my medical journey.
The psychiatry breakout sessions were especially impactful. Dr. Pramudie Gunaratne’s talk on the NSW psychiatry crisis gave me a raw and compelling insight into the real-world pressures facing clinicians and patients alike. Her honesty about burnout, systemic gaps, and the emotional toll of frontline psychiatry was deeply moving. It also highlighted the critical need for reform and the importance of clinician-led advocacy. For students like me hoping to practice in underserved communities, these lessons felt directly relevant.
Scarlett Wong’s session on Mental Health in Humanitarian Crises: Stories from Gaza was equally powerful. Her storytelling transported us to the frontlines of care during conflict, where mental health support becomes both urgent and complicated. I was struck by her compassion, cultural humility, and dedication to ethical care amidst unimaginable hardship. It reminded me that psychiatry is not just a clinical discipline, but a human one, rooted in empathy, resilience, and social justice.
This experience has only strengthened my interest in psychiatry and its importance in health care. I’ve returned to JCU more inspired than ever, not just to study, but to lead, advocate, and give back.
I’m so thankful for the opportunity that PIF has provided me, as a medical student from James Cook University living in far North Queensland, attending AMSA 2025 in Sydney was my first AMSA experience, and one I’ll never forget. Coming from a rural and regional background, opportunities like this can often feel out of reach. I’m incredibly grateful to PIF for sponsoring my attendance; without your generous support, I simply wouldn’t have been able to participate. Their sponsorship not only covered the financial barriers but also made me feel recognised and supported as an aspiring Indigenous doctor from a rural location. As the week progressed, I relised that the value of this opportunity goes far beyond the financial; it’s opened doors, created connections, and deeply enriched my medical journey.
The psychiatry breakout sessions were especially impactful. Dr. Pramudie Gunaratne’s talk on the NSW psychiatry crisis gave me a raw and compelling insight into the real-world pressures facing clinicians and patients alike. Her honesty about burnout, systemic gaps, and the emotional toll of frontline psychiatry was deeply moving. It also highlighted the critical need for reform and the importance of clinician-led advocacy. For students like me hoping to practice in underserved communities, these lessons felt directly relevant.
Scarlett Wong’s session on Mental Health in Humanitarian Crises: Stories from Gaza was equally powerful. Her storytelling transported us to the frontlines of care during conflict, where mental health support becomes both urgent and complicated. I was struck by her compassion, cultural humility, and dedication to ethical care amidst unimaginable hardship. It reminded me that psychiatry is not just a clinical discipline, but a human one, rooted in empathy, resilience, and social justice.
This experience has only strengthened my interest in psychiatry and its importance in health care. I’ve returned to JCU more inspired than ever, not just to study, but to lead, advocate, and give back.
