A student who appears on the back of Darwin buses highlighting a career in medicine in the Territory has come full circle.

Jahan Barr, in his second year of a Doctor of Medicine degree at Flinders University, was thinking about changing his career in defence in 2018 when he saw the bus wrap spruiking places at the Darwin campus.

Now three years on he’s featured on the bus advert for Flinders NT which on Friday celebrated nearly 20 years in the Territory and 10 years of the Northern Territory Medical Program with a symposium, the NT Supervisor Awards and gala dinner.

“People ask me about the bus wrap all the time,” said Jahan, who had a successful 11-year career in the Navy before switching to medicine. “They are amazed that you can study medicine in the Territory and don’t have to go elsewhere.”

Jahan’s final position in the Navy was as an Executive Officer on one of the Armidale class patrol boats based in Darwin. He fell in love with the Territory and decided to relocate here permanently from Sydney. It also made him consider a career in medicine.

“I have seen the challenges that healthcare workers face and thought there is no better place to learn medicine and then give back to the community that has welcomed me in,” he says.

“I have had some pretty significant injuries in the past, where I had to have surgery and spent a lot of time recovering. In each of these occasions, it was the care and support of medical staff that helped me recover.”

While leaving a career to become a student was a challenging decision, it has been worthwhile pursuing something Jahan is passionate about.

“In my time in defence I was fortunate to be deployed a few times and see the benefits that medical support can make to veterans and vulnerable communities. I decided that I would like to become a doctor to help give back and be a part of this important workforce.”

Jahan said the opportunity to study medicine in the Territory with Flinders University is something he values highly.

“We get fabulous support from the Flinders NT teaching staff and opportunities in NT hospitals that students elsewhere may not,” he says.

“Having an opportunity to learn from highly experienced clinicians and study in a supportive environment is outstanding. There is a low student/staff ration and the support the staff give us is amazing.”