A legacy of dedication to rural health

Michelle Goy (Bachelor of Health and Medical Science (Honours) '20) shone brightest when she was exploring the great outdoors: riding her beloved horse Jack through Victoria’s High Country; carving up the slopes at Hotham; or four-wheel driving on K’gari (Fraser Island) with her partner and their friends.

Michelle was a talented Deakin medical student who was following her mother into the profession.

'She made new friends from the medicine cohort. That was lovely. We all said it was the happiest we'd ever seen her,' Dr Cindy Goy recalls.

Sadly, Michelle’s life was cut short before she could explore a promising career in sports medicine.

The Goy family are based in Geelong but are regular visitors to their family farm in Irrewillipe. They wanted to leave a gift in Michelle’s memory that would honour her passions and celebrate her roots.

'We go to the farm every week,' Michelle’s sister Rachael says.

'And with our horseriding, we'd often do competitions out in different places. There was always a connection for Michelle and I with more rural areas.'

^{Image: Michelle Goy skiing in Canada}

'If you can get one more doctor out there, that can save a life. But if there's no one there to help, you really struggle. And that's why I love what The Damion Drapac Centre is doing – that must be making such a difference.'

Dr Goy practised as a GP in Geelong for many years and understands how difficult it is to recruit doctors outside of capital cities.

'Most of the graduating GPs, they all want to live in the city, near good facilities. Your only hope of getting GPs into the country in decent numbers is encouraging people who already come from the country. Because they're more likely when they graduate to go back and feel comfortable,' she says.

The catastrophe of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which devastated many parts of Victoria, brought the lack of rural doctors into sharp focus.

'It made you realise that there's not a lot of doctors around. People struggle to get help, to get support,' Dr Goy says.

Deakin is playing its part to address this challenge through the Rural Community Clinical School (RCCS). The RCCS supports third-year Deakin medical students to spend 12 months working in a community with an experienced clinical mentor. Students are placed in one of nine regional locations: Ararat, Bacchus Marsh/Melton, Camperdown, Colac, Daylesford, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, and Stawell.

'If we can provide education access to people from more diverse backgrounds that more closely resemble the profile of their communities, it’s no great surprise that they’ll provide better service and have a real impact,' Deakin's Dean of Medicine, Professor Gary Rogers, says.

The Michelle Goy Rural Medicine Scholarship will support a rural student who is completing the Doctor of Medicine program for the four-year duration of their studies. As an endowed gift, the scholarship will be offered for many years to come.

'It was incredible – just after we'd finalised the scholarships, I'm listening to the radio,' Dr Goy recalls.

'There was a girl studying medicine at Deakin who was having to give it up because she was a single mum, and she just didn't have the money to keep studying. And I thought,"wow, that's crazy".'

'It’s affirming to know that Michelle’s scholarship will support future students so that they can achieve their dream of becoming a doctor and give back to their communities.'

The first scholarship in Michelle’s memory will be provided in 2026.