Jasper Hutt and Karlie James among doctors graduating from Flinders University

Twenty-four new doctors have graduated from a Territory-based medical degree. Read how they plan to make a difference to the health of Territorians.

They come from a range of different backgrounds, with varied experience and unique goals for the future.

But one common dream they all share is to improve the health of the Territory.

Twenty-four promising Doctor of Medicine students graduated from Flinders University’s NT Medical Program on Tuesday.

The degree is four years of study all completed within the Territory and has a return of service obligation attached, meaning students must work in the NT following graduation.

The number is slightly down on last year when 31 newly-minted doctors celebrated.

This is no problem for two of these graduates, who hope to make a difference in the field in very different but equally important ways.

Mother of four and proud Indigenous woman Karlie James went through a lot during her “challenging” four-year degree.

“The challenges would be my external commitments to my young family — not just that, but also the commitments of being an Indigenous woman to my kinship, my other family, so my nieces and nephews who would also be considered as like my own children, so that’s a lot sometimes,” she said.

Karlie James, with her sons Jacob, Jayden, Aaron and Leon, is among Twenty-four students are graduating with a Doctor of Medicine from Flinders University. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Among the challenges was one of the biggest a parent could ever face when one of her young sons was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Ms James said that experience really impacted her studies and encouraged her to continue rather than quit.

“I think learning medicine also helped to understand what my son was going through,” she said.

“It also motivated me to want to become a doctor and help other families — And I think I have that experience and empathy for other parents going through child illness.”

Ms James has plans to train as a GP in a remote community with “a strong need for more Indigenous doctors”, after following the Indigenous Entry Pathway to finish her studies.

She said she hoped other members of the Indigenous community would follow her footsteps and give medicine a go.

“The program is a fantastic opportunity for many Indigenous people wanting to undertake studying medicine; I think it’s something that’s so out of our grasp,” she said.

“I think the fact that there are three of us Indigenous women graduating is a testament to the fact that it can be done despite the obligations that we have as Indigenous women.”

NTFL boundary umpire Jasper Hutt saw a gap in the Territory for a sports doctor when he represented NT Thunder as a junior.

Jasper Hutt has plans to be a sports doctor in the Northern Territory. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“I realised there are no sports doctors that actually went down with us and we would always grab doctors from other states,” he said.

“So I was like I could be that doctor.”
Mr Hutt, a born and bred Darwinite, balanced his studies with working part time at his local Woolies.

He said the importance of being trained and working within the Territory was not lost on him.

“I think it’s important because I know the Territory — it’s so different to everything else in Australia, not only the temperature but also everyone who lives there,” he said.

“You’d need more local people because those are the one that are more invested in the Territory and want to try and give back.”