By the time Joel Brown was 32, he’d worked in over 30 different jobs. His journey began at the age of 19 while working as an orderly at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he discovered his passion for helping people in their most vulnerable moments. For Joel, Flinders University’s Indigenous Entry Stream (IES) stood out as the ideal pathway to study Medicine and achieve his goals.
“Working with people and helping people are the reasons I wanted to get into medicine. However, medicine will give me a bigger scope of practice and a larger choice of professional skills to learn.”
Joel’s experiences in the emergency department ignited a spark of interest in medicine that would later shape his career aspirations.
“These experiences gave me an insight into medicine, but I didn’t think I was smart enough to be able to go onto become a nurse, paramedic or a doctor, that was so far out of mind, I never thought it was a reachable goal because I didn’t finish high school.”
Over the years, Joel explored various jobs, accumulating a wealth of life experiences that would ultimately lead him back to his dream of pursuing a career in healthcare. His journey through higher education took him from IT to drama and screen and media degrees, reflecting his diverse interests
Being accepted into a Paramedicine degree bolstered Joel’s confidence, and halfway through his studies he decided to apply to transfer into Medicine via the Indigenous Entry Program.
“I spoke with a lot of people about studying medicine, including SA Ambulance Service staff, medical interns, other students and university tutors and asked their thoughts to give me a better insight and so I knew if I was able to do it. It took me around two years before I was sure about my decision to study medicine.”
Through the support of Yungkurrinthi and university staff, Joel found a nurturing environment tailored to the needs of Indigenous students. The personalised guidance and understanding provided by Flinders’ supportive community played a pivotal role in Joel’s journey.
“Yungkurrinthi has been very supportive, they helped organise for me to chat to other students. They make time for students and make everything work for you, it all fell together. The staff take time to understand students and help you get through whatever you are struggling with.
The relationship I have with Yungkurrinthi is important, without their support I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mature age students are well supported at Flinders.”
Joel encourages aspiring students to seize the opportunity and embark on their own transformative journey towards a rewarding career in medicine. To prospective students considering the Indigenous Entry Stream, Joel offers a simple yet profound piece of advice:
“Just apply. Speak to staff about what you want to do, they will help guide you in the right direction and put you in touch with the right people. You will have a good support network; you just need to make yourself known.”
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