Surgical News | Volume 21 | Issue 06
The Davison Family Trust: empowering Indigenous doctors to gain surgical qualification The Davison Family Trust, the first scholarship to address the low number of Indigenous Australian surgeons, was recently initiated by Mr Ian Davison, a retired orthopaedic surgeon. Ian and his now deceased brother, Greg, were graduates of Sydney University and residents at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Both pursued a career in surgery and the Davison Family Trust acknowledges that privilege, and honours Greg’s memory. Aspiring initially to journalism, Ian was diverted to medicine by Greg’s endorsement of his own experience. After completing a general surgical Fellowship in England, he was drawn to the reconstructive aspects of Orthopaedic Surgery, and returned to Australia to undertake his orthopaedic Fellowship. Following a year’s Fellowship in knee surgery, Ian left for the country to become the first orthopaedic surgeon in Nowra, on the south coast of New South Wales. He and his wife settled on a 250acre property and bred alpacas, which numbered 850 at their peak. In recent years, Ian and his partner, Janie Forrest, have been supporters of Yalari and the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, organisations that sponsor Indigenous children to attend private secondary schools. Growing up on a remote sheep station in the Pilbara region, Janie had first-hand experience of the disparity in educational opportunities available to Indigenous children. During their recent trips to remote parts of Western Australia, both observed the social dilemma of many Aboriginal communities and the challenges and issues faced by those communities. Then, in 2017, Ian received a circular from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Foundation for Surgery inviting surgeons to donate the proceeds of one operation to advance surgery as a postgraduate choice for young Indigenous
medical graduates. To his amazement he discovered that RACS had only two Indigenous Australian Fellows. “It occurred to me that more encouragement and assistance was required if we were to address this disparity,” he said. An explanation for the lack of Indigenous surgeons was the cost of postgraduate education and the financial drain resulting from the support offered by many successful medical graduates to their own communities and families. “I hoped, somewhat simply, to reduce financial hardship as a barrier preventing young graduates from seeking a career in surgery,” he said.
“Surgical intervention is a privilege that patients extend to their trusted physicians. That trust puts surgeons in a position of extraordinary power and responsibility. We need to share that honour with more Indigenous Australians.” “In Australia, there are increasing numbers of Indigenous politicians, doctors, sportsmen, artists, musicians and leaders who can inspire their young brothers and sisters to positions of community leadership and respect. It is now time that we add surgeons to that list,” Mr Davison said.
Mr Ian Davison
“If young Indigenous Australians can be assisted and encouraged to rise to positions of eminence, authority and respect in our society, it will provide an example and inspiration for others to do the same. Surgery is only one of the many vocations that can promote Indigenous Australians to that position of respect. And, if the scholarship is successful in achieving that outcome, it will have served its purpose,” Ian concluded.
So the Davison Family Trust scholarship was born to take some small leadership in establishing that trend.
Establish your own named perpetual scholarship
“There are few successful professionals whose education and career have been realised without the example and encouragement of a mentor or exemplar. Many young Indigenous Australians will find inspiration and reason to embrace ambition when others have successfully negotiated that path before them,” Ian explained.
Would you like to start your own scholarship or grant in your area of passion or speciality, just like Ian has? You can establish your own grant to change lives and see the results of your philanthropy in your lifetime. Please call Jessica Redwood, Manager, Foundation for Surgery, on +61 3 9249 1110 or email foundation@surgeons. org today.
15
