Patrick Webster
2021

Patrick

Medicine

WA

My aim is to pursue a career in healthcare  a huge field, I know! I have become increasingly certain that this is a career that infuses my fundamental values – helping wholeheartedly, compassion and service to others. I will be studying Medicine and Surgery at Curtin University. I believe Medicine will offer this balance between care and empathy and the critical thinking skills and love for constant education I have always looked for in a career.  

I come from a large family  17 brothers and sisters to be exact. There were 10 of us in our house – in our four-bedroom house, during my high school years. Without going into too much detail, I can say with certainty that it made for quite the concoction of experiences. I have lived in every state and territory besides the Northern Territory and Queensland.  

In my younger years I was raised as a catholic, which definitely presented both strengths and difficulties in later years. I was home schooled along with my other siblings for a proportion of my schooling life. I have always lived in rural and regional areas and it’s an exciting change for me being in Perth for university now. I felt disconnected for a long time because the towns and schools I went to had no engagement with the LGBTIQ+ community at all. Living in conservative areas made me feel apprehensive and frightened to express myself openly in public.  

One of my proudest achievements was when my friend and I founded our schools first LGBTIQ+ club. When, one lunchtime, Kensley and I, were dwelling over the heartfelt empathy we had for the many students who were experiencing the same struggles we had endured every year in that school, we decided it was time we tried to do something. We understood first-hand what many younger students were feeling: isolated, frightened, unable to reach out for guidance. After tedious organisation and more than a few questioning conversations we were able to form a lunchtime club. This program aimed to create a space where students could feel safe, ask questions and be surrounded by those united in their differences.  

If I could continue going through my life helping others it would be a life well lived. My ultimate dream (in a hugely condensed form) is to become a doctor and really focus my efforts in improving the health (and access to health) of our LGBTIQ+ community.