First Nations Telegraph

Dr T’kido Titasey almost gave up on his medicine degree, but a strong connection to his hometown encouraged him to give it another try.

The University of Queensland Medical School student recently graduated with a Doctor of Medicine, but his university journey has been anything but linear.

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Born in Atherton and raised on Naghir Island in the Torres Strait, Dr Titasey had his heart set on studying medicine from a young age.

“Growing up in the Torres Strait I was exposed to many health inequalities, and I naturally gravitated towards wanting to help people in our community,” Dr Titasey said.

“I also come from a really nurturing family who go above and beyond to look after our people – I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them, and I feel obligated to give back.”

After graduating high school, Dr Titasey found the transition to university difficult.

“I originally started studying medicine back in 2013 at James Cook University (JCU), but I was young and immature and still needed to find my way,” he said.

“I was obsessed with becoming a doctor but didn’t have any idea on the work that was required to succeed.

“I wasn't overly successful in progressing through the degree, so I dropped out and took a few years off, travelling and working in hospitality.”

While he gained some valuable life experience during those years, Dr Titasey knew he was destined to work in healthcare.

“Some years later, I decided to compromise and gave a Bachelor of Nursing Science a try.

“It took me some time to find my feet, but I grew to absolutely love it.”

 

Dr Titasey graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing Science from JCU in 2018 and became a fully qualified nurse, working in interventional cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and emergency nursing.

But his desire to pursue medicine still tugged at the back of his mind.

“I was working at Townsville Community Hospital where a lot of Indigenous people had cardiovascular issues, and I really wanted to understand why the number of Indigenous patients was so disproportionate to those who were non-Indigenous,” he said.

“This was when I realised that I was ready to take the next step and try to pursue my career in medicine again.”

Although he found it challenging to return to university as a mature-aged student, Dr Titasey said UQ’s medicine degree incorporated both theoretical and practical components that were integral to his success.

“UQ provided me with so many tools to get me through my time at university,” he said.

“I was very lucky to have a mentor in Honorary Associate Professor Linda Selvey, who supported me through understanding certain concepts, especially when it came to research.

“Dr Selvey also played an integral role in assisting me with the decision making through medicine.”  

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Honorary Associate Professor Linda Selvey taught Dr Titasey during his first year of medicine, but it wasn’t until she heard his story a short time later that she approached him about being his mentor.

“TK was a keynote speaker at the student NAIDOC ball, where he discussed the challenges he faced during his time at university, and his determination to give medicine a second go really inspired me,” Dr Selvey said.

“I got in touch with him after that and offered to be his mentor.

“Occasionally I would give advice, but mainly it was about me listening to him as he worked out his career path.”

Dr Selvey said she was proud of Dr Titasey and all he had achieved. 

“Students like TK give me hope for the future of medicine, because he is incredibly capable and incredibly passionate, and those are the sorts of people you trust when you are in need of medical care,” she said.

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The most rewarding part of the four-year degree for Dr Titasey was returning home to Thursday Island.

“It was amazing to be back on country, reconnecting with my family members,” he said.

“My last block of placement was spent in the Thursday Island Hospital, which was a great place to get exposure as a medicine student.

“Anything and everything could walk through the doors of emergency, from bacterial infections, to traumas, to paediatrics – it really tested my knowledge and consolidated a lot of the theoretical skills I had developed over the past 4 years.”

After graduation, Dr Titasey hopes to return to the Torres Strait and work full-time as a doctor.

“Being here in my community for placement really created a strong desire for me to come back and practice here.

“As a doctor, you're in a place of privilege and power and you can make a fair bit of change, so why not come back and inspire other Torres Strait Islanders to pursue their dreams.”

He said although it was unconventional, he wouldn’t change anything about his journey.

“It has been a lot of hard work, but once I found what we call the 'ginnar' – or the process – it became easier,” Dr Titasey said.