Tiana Smerdon is the 2022 recipient of the Burgmann Price Scholarship. She grew up in Albury, a regional town located on the border of NSW and VIC. Tiana has a keen understanding of and appreciation for the multifaceted benefits of scholarships which by supporting individuals have the power to inspire future community level contributions and change.
Shortly after finishing Year 12, Tiana was offered the enriching opportunity to shadow a paediatrician with the Albury-Wodonga Paediatric Group. She graduated from the ANU with a Bachelor of Health Science at the end of 2020 and is now completing her first year studying a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.
Tiana is passionate about children’s health and is acutely interested in pursuing a specialisation in paediatrics. She also aspires to work in rural communities in the future; hoping to help reduce the inequitable distribution of healthcare access and resources which currently exists between metropolitan and rural/remote settings across Australia.
In Tiana’s words, the impact of receiving the Burgmann Price Scholarship is ‘unmatched’. She notes that for many students from similar socio-economic backgrounds as her own, financial barriers often pose a massive challenge when it comes to studying interstate. Without the support of the Burgmann Price Scholarship, Tiana would not be able to afford to live at Burgmann College.
With a full-time study load and casual job, the support from her Scholarship makes a big difference in Tiana’s world and what she can achieve, in terms of both her academic and extracurricular commitments. She offers a ‘enormous thank you!’ to the donors of the Burgmann Price Scholarship who have played a pivotal role in helping to alleviate some of Tiana’s financial stresses and hopes that they are aware of the invaluable impact that their generosity has had on her ability to prioritise her studies and mental wellbeing as a medical student.
Inspired by the assistance she has received, a future goal of Tiana’s is to not only give back by serving as a doctor in rural communities; but to also one day support promising but financially challenged university students, who are keen to make a difference to Australia’s healthcare system, by establishing a scholarship of her own.
Originally hailing from Albury NSW, Tiana Smerdon is the 2022 recipient of the Burgmann Price Scholarship.
Tiana has a keen understanding of the ways in which support for an individual also contributes into support for communities. Fresh out of Year 12 Tiana took up an offer to shadow a paediatrician at the Albury-Wodonga Paediatric Group. In 2018 she graduated from the ANU with a Bachelor of Health Science and is now undertaking a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.
With an aim of continuing in medicine, specialising in paediatrics, Tiana’s next steps are to complete her degree, work as an intern and then resident, and from there she hopes to work in rural medicine, contributing to communities who are in need of medical support.
In Tiana’s words, the impact of receiving the Burgmann Price Scholarship is ‘massive’. She notes that the number one barrier to study is financial and without the support of the Scholarship she would not be able to afford to live at College. With a full-time study load and part-time job, the support from the Scholarship makes a big difference in what Tiana is able to achieve.
She offers a ‘massive thank you!’ to the donors of the Burgmann Price Scholarship and said she hopes they know the enormous impact their generosity has had on her studies and future career. She also notes the unique opportunities created by Burgmann College for residents and gratefully acknowledges the scholarship she received during her undergraduate studies.
Inspired by the assistance she has received, a future goal of Tiana’s is to give back both as a doctor, and also to financially contribute to a scholarship which assists students pursuing careers in health care.
