Laura Sorensen enjoys the variety and the atmosphere of working back home after studying in Melbourne. Picture: TARA GOONAN
AFTER finishing high school as dux at the former Wodonga West Secondary College in 2004, Laura Sorensen received more than just a scholarship from the Border Medical Association.
Ms Sorensen is the third recipient of the scholarship to return to Wodonga and out of 92 people in the program, most have taken a rural path.
Although the financial benefits were only for the first year, Ms Sorensen received “extra home support” and was regularly contacted by Border Medical Association member Pieter Mourik to see how she was progressing.
“We’re very proud of her,” Mr Mourik said.
Ms Sorensen wanted to study medicine long before year 12, despite all the years of work, and was given a stethoscope by her aunt for motivation.
“There’s not many careers that you can impact a life like that,” she said.
While living in Melbourne for several years Ms Sorensen “always planned, in the back of her mind, to go back to Wodonga” where her family and her partner’s family live.
Wanting to work away from the city “certainly gives an advantage” with positions in Melbourne drawing a lot of competition, despite the variety of general practice in the area; “it isn’t just coughs and colds. You never know what will come through the door,” she said.
Applications for the Border Medical Association Scholarship are still open for second round offers, and are available for under- graduate and post-graduate medical students.
Go to bordermedical.com.au.
