A mother’s life style is something that only a mother can really understand. The constant barrage of having to clean the house, take care of the kids, make the food, pay the bills, and having a full-time job really requires perseverance and patience. This is something that not all men or dare I say, only some men, can achieve.

Being a mother is no walk in the park.

But what if you’re a single mother and a doctor? In fact, you’re a single mother having to take care of the entire house all on your own whilst being a doctor. Sounds near impossible, right? Dr. Stephanie Trust is not only a doctor but also a single mother working not just for her own family but for the wider community.¹

You see, being a doctor is just like being a mother, only for more people than you’d care to imagine. Coming from a large family herself, Stephanie knows too well how to handle a large crowd. But it was when assisting her sister-in-law, at the age of 10, with medications to the town that she decided to make it her life’s goal of being involved in the health sector.

For Stephanie, becoming a doctor took an unusually different direction than what some would normally be accustomed to. In fact, her primary education was achieved in two separate locations. And after finishing her nursing course, she and her friend decided to ponder about the idea of medicine and what it would require for an admission. Knowing that there is a shortage of doctors in the Kimberly, she decided to pursue medicine at the University of Western Australia.

What was most intriguing about Stephanie’s circumstance is that at the time she was admitted into medicine, she was a single mother taking care of a nine-year-old child. Yet, this did not deter her from pursuing medicine. On the contrary, her involvement in the health sector and the support of her family, staff at the indigenous studies unit, and center for Aboriginal medical dental health encouraged her dream for medicine.

Being a single mother was certainly a challenge during her time as a medical student. One of the many challenges she faced was trying to earn a wage. During her training, Stephanie had to stop and go back to her family for assistance. Although this slowed her down, it nevertheless motivated her to keep on moving forward. Her advice to new students is to organize their financial situations prior to commencing their medical studies. This will ensure that more of your focus is on your studies rather than worrying about paying your next bill.

For Stephanie, going back home was something she always looked forward to. This in particular was true for her role in aiding the community medically and advising the younger generation. Her identity as an Aboriginal certainly helps in dealing with many of the patients and in doing so she learns more about them. She believes understanding your patients’ background and cultural identity helps appropriately to deal with the sensitivities of the cultures, whilst also making you a better doctor.

Apart from aiding the community’s health problems, Stephanie knows that she’s never off duty as a doctor. Taking the time to spend on oneself and away from the huff-buff that is out there is very important. This ensures that you get to spend time not just on yourself but also your family and the community.

Stephanie’s path shows us how we can manage our time appropriately and still achieve our goals. Understanding our circumstance and how we can work accordingly can help guide us in the right direction.

Refernces:

1. Association, A.I.D. Journeys into Medicine 2016 [cited 2017 31/08]; Available from: https://www.aida.org.au/news/journeys-into-medicine/.

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