Dr. Vennassa Wong (Rural Generalist)

We recently had the privilege of conducting an Interview with the Amazing Vennassa Wong. We found this Interview to be deeply moving and equally Inspirational. Please read along, and let us know how her story has Impacted your career as an aspiring female doctor. 

Vennassa is a GP / Anaesthetist who is committed to providing healthcare in rural and remote communities with a particular focus on First Nations health. 

Introduction

I don't use the title doctor. I think in this day and age, it's a bit superfluous. You don't really need it. I call myself Vennassa when I introduce myself to patients. By definition, I'm Vennassa Wong. I like to consider myself a rural specialist. I'm a GP anaesthetist by trade and I'm part of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. I should fellow by the end of the year as I've passed all of my major exams, I'm just tidying up my paperwork now. I've been a doctor for almost 10 years. The other roles I have include being the Indigenous Health Curriculum Coordinator for Charles Sturt University School of Rural Medicine. I provided my assistance In the development of new rural clinical schools across NSW and I also sit on the Board of Southern New South Wales Health. I think it's important for me to broaden out my role as a doctor because when you're a rural doctor, you're not just a doctor, you're part of the community.

I also am a cultural safety consultant. I run my own business and I do consultancy work on cultural training for various private or government bodies. I'm also a mum of six kids, most importantly. I should have put that first, I suppose.

“Could you tell us about where you come from and what that looks like for you?” 

I grew up in North Queensland. I spent a bit of time in Papua New Guinea when it was a territory of Australia. So by definition, I was born in Australia in Papua New Guinea when it was territory of Australia. My dad Is half Papua New Guinea and half Chinese. My mom's a Torres Strait of Aboriginal descent with a bit of Samoan and German chucked In. Most of my life was pretty much spent on the islands there and also in North Queensland, in particular between Townsville and Cairns, were my main stomping grounds. This area was very racist back in the 80s, if you can imagine. We didn't have a lot in regards to what we owned and things like that and we grew up in a poor suburb. I think one thing that stuck with me growing up was when we moved from more an island life style to living on the mainland. The racism was something I'd never encountered. It Is definitely something that has stuck with me a lot, and It wasn't a very pleasant time to be living In North Queensland. 

I grew up poor in a very large Indigenous, Papua New Guinean family. Mum and dad put food on the table as best they could. One thing I fundamentally remember that probably is a lot different to a lot of other people's upbringings is, my people's lack of self-belief. I was never asked what I'm going to be when I grow up, what I'm going to do, what my goals or aspirations were because were too busy living day to day. Your parents are too busy trying to scrounge money together to put food on the table. We had an extended family with about three other families living with us, and that was our way of helping out other members of our family that came and went.

I've always grown up in a very large, loud home. I used to think my mother's rice pot was magical because it always had enough rice. It just kept making rice. I don't know how, but we could have 50 people over for dinner and yet there was always enough food. You crack open a tin of bully beef, and next minute the rice just keeps coming and everyone gets fed. My parents grew a lot of produce, and traditional vegetables in the yard. So, we have beans and traditional island type vegetables, which helped bulk up our meals. I love my childhood, but it was tough, being something that still resonates with me today. I've always been very open minded, and I just couldn't believe that people will judge you on the colour of your skin. It's such a foreign concept to me knowing that we all bleed the same colour, that someone would judge me purely on the way I look. 

I don't want to say you get used to it. You develop tough skin. But I've seen a shift of tide over the years. I've started noticing that major news outlets will Introduce towns by both their city name, and their traditional Indigenous name. So in my mind, there has been a massive shift of acceptance. I mean, there's still racism in Australia, don't get me wrong, but it's less accepted. I remember being a medical student in Charters Towers and one of the elderly ladies in the community absolutely refused for me to come and examine her and do a workup. I was a final year medical student and I remember the local doctor just giving her a serve, he absolutely hammered her. Now I can understand where her racism comes from. It's ingrained. These are paradigms put into people's heads since they were young, but I've always been of the opinion that if you've got a brain in your head and you open up your mind that, you should challenge some of the beliefs that have been instilled with you since birth.

I think everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I think when it crosses the line there's a way of challenging people and it is very hard, I must admit. When I was a medical student, I was less forthcoming because it is very hard being in the supposed hierarchical system, but as I've gotten older I think the way I challenge it is through humour. When i noticed racist remarks, I would say something like “oh, okay, here we go, you guys are stereotyping me again?”. I'm definitely not a confrontational person, but, you know, I think you can challenge people in a way that's less confrontational. People don't know what they don't know. Sometimes it's part of my role, or part of anyone's role in the health system, to advocate on behalf of people who are oppressed, people who don't have the opportunity to stand up for themselves.

What Inspired you to study medicine?

I think when I reflect on my life, there are so many different things that led me towards medicine. My PNG/Chinese grandfather was a paramedic in World War 2. When in Rabaul, he was part of a group called the Chinese Auxiliary Ambulance Division, and they were a subsidiary of the Australian Army. At the time, they weren't given any pay or recognition. They weren't given anything because the Australian government didn't want them to be part of the Army units at the time because they were Chinese. And I understand, I mean, the Japanese were the bad guys during this war. So, you know, God only knows where the Chinese were going to sit in that. 

So he was not given any recognition for his role as a paramedic, and I guess I'd always wanted to be like him. He did his time, he did his service and I posthumously got his awards and medals awarded to him. So he sort of motivated me, I think I've got a very similar personality to him and his story Is definitely something that drove me to push harder.

In my world, medicine was like ‘winning the lotto’. You hear about it, but you don't really think there's a hope in hell you're going to get there. Most of the people I went to high school with that went into medicine were either exceptionally bright or their parents were already in the field of medicine or law, with established careers. That’s the simple truth of how it used to be back in the day.

I was very fortunate that they opened the James Cook University Medical school, and they were recruiting for mature age students. I did very well in my initial science degree, and I had an honours programme out of it, so I thought I'd give the application process a go. I was fortunate to get In during a very tumultuous time of my life. I was going through significant domestic violence and becoming a single parent, almost homeless, living in our women's refuge. I think medicine for me was not just the vocation itself, but it was a lifeline to a complete change of lifestyle. I guess at some point you get sick of being poor, living pay check to pay check and expectations of other people that you think “no, I want to actually open up my mind to, what I could possibly be and do in my life”. For the very first time in my life, I think it was in my late 30s, I asked myself “What do I want to do in my life? Where do I see myself?”. As soon as I started vocalising and processing those thoughts, asking questions, and assessing what was around, the opportunities just came to me.

For me personally, medicine was a very holistic thing. It's not just a financial benefit, it's not just education, it's not just a feeling of vocation that reflects that of my grandfather. It's a lifeline of security for me, but also a change of direction for not just myself, but every other descendant that comes after me.

Intrinsically I think I knew what my life path was going to be. It was going to be living in housing commissions with my kids as a single mum on sole parents’ pension (which isn't a lot). I would have been putting my kids through a public school, maybe grappling at a part time job here or there, and trying to put food on the table, you know. I didn't like that trajectory of my life and I wanted something different for my children. For me, medicine is not just about me doing something for myself, it’s about me doing something for my children and their children and their children's children. I’ve jumped many hurdles to bring my family to the front row of opportunity and privilege.

It's funny because I was brought up in a very poor, you know, black sort of neighbourhood, but my parents always used to say to me, “you sound like you're from an upper class European family” because my mindset had always been a bit different, and I never wanted that same lifestyle for myself. I just you know, when you're hungry enough, you will crawl through glass, you'll stay up till early hours of the morning, you'll hammer yourself until you get over that line. Even now I still I don't stop, I just keep going. I'm probably busier now than I've ever been in my life, and I get a feeling that it's only going to get even more busier. I just can't help myself. I'm living the dream and when people give me these opportunities, I just can't say no. 

I'm very internally motivated for sure. When you have been looked down upon because of the colour of your skin or because you have six kids and you're black it drives me to push myself that little bit more. I’ve always wanted to do more and be more, you know, so I'm better than the bloke that's looking down on me. I think that’s what has driven me to do a master’s degree, work towards a PhD, and run six different research projects simultaneously. I’ve got a little business that’s taking off and now I’m in the position to buy an investment property, so I’ve got lots of things happening. I think I’m just a very driven person and that drive comes from having nothing and knowing the trajectory of my life if things didn’t change.

I don't think I see retirement as an option for me. I’m in a profession where I can modify what I do, and the roles I take on depending how physically active I am. I say, if you want to make more money, then go be an entrepreneur. Medicine is hard work. The health system is cracked at the moment, and you'll get flogged, but we do this because we love it. 

What challenges have you faced while studying or practicing medicine?

I think there's a lot of indirect racism in health, and there's a lot of direct racism in health. You still have a lot of old school doctors and nurses who, whether they recognise it or not, carry their own inherent prejudices. The health system itself and the college programs aren’t designed to meet the challenges of people who come to work in this area with baggage, so I struggled.

People don't realise that it costs money to pay for exams and the reason why I delayed my fellowship program wasn't because I was dumb. I could have smacked it out in four years, but I went across to WA to work and earn money to pay off existing personal debts. I preferred to feed my kids first and educate them first before I pay tens of thousands towards college exams. I don't think people recognise that we don’t come to Medicine completely debt free with parents that are able to afford to pay our loans or give us loans and things like that. I think that in itself is an issue that needs to be addressed.

The system itself is very it's very gruelling for people who carry a lot of baggage and it's not the health system's fault, but I’m a strong believer in that medicine should be made-up of people from all walks of life.

I think for myself personally, I've also had to face my own demons of feeling imposter syndrome, and I know we all suffer it, but I think it's harder when you're indigenous and you never grew up in an environment where it was ever thought you could be a doctor.

It's such a foreign thing to me because I never grew up being told I was intelligent or anything like that, or encouraged to do more I was just never a given so yeah, it is a surprise I wake up some days and I realise that I am a doctor. 

I'm comfortable in my own shoes because I've learned to, you know, be me in my role. I'm just me. When I go to work, I'm casually dressed. I wear my indigenous scrubs, I tie my hair up neatly and I wear my sand shoes, not so much makeup. I speak to my patients with my accent that I was born with because I've learned that to be free, you've gotta be me. You've gotta be yourself and I'd rather be that way anyway.

I find that people tend to love it because you’re genuine and you’re human. I've always been able to establish a rapport with patients cause I'm completely myself. I'm authentic, I guess is what I'm trying to say, and I really love just being me. 

What do you love about being a doctor In the country? 

When you're a doctor in the country, you're more than a doctor. You are an essential part of the community. You are absolutely ingrained. What I love about it is I've got a great work life balance. Well, sometimes I've got a great work life balance, but it's easier for my children to come and see me at the hospital and be involved in their lives where we share lunches together sometimes and catch up. I love being part of the community because I've always been an advocate for health but when you're here working in the bush, you are advocating on behalf of the people that you're living with. There are times where you will treat your next door neighbour, your daughters friend, you might treat your dentist or the secretaries son or something. It's a real privilege to be able to do that and to have them trust you. One of my nurse colleagues had a situation with their son, and came up to me on the side to ask if I could treat their son? First of all, I was like ohh you know, I was busy and there were other doctors there, but he's asking me. I felt absolutely privileged to be selected to treat his son and work on him because what he did was, he trusted me above all the other doctors. I'm not saying I'm better than them, but I must be doing something that he sees as being trustworthy and you know, trust is a very hard thing for people to develop towards you as a professional. I felt very honoured that he did that.

I've had that done to me many, many times. When I come on the floor and someone's son, daughter or mother are unwell, I’ve had people say “Oh, thank God you're on today. I really wanted you to see my mum. Is that OK?”. Whilst I feel for the other doctors, I know that deep down they really trust me, you know, and that's a privilege that shows I must be doing something right somewhere. If I need someone retrieved out, or if I have something urgent, I will fight for you. That's my role on behalf of you because the patient can't navigate the healthcare system, they don't know it as intrinsically as we do, and that's our job. So that's what I love about rural medicine is that you get to be part of a community and it's more than just seeing patients. 

It's a bit more than just a number, it's being a community or part of the community. 

What piece of advice would you give a woman who Is thinking of studying medicine?

I would say you can have it all. Don't limit yourself on what society says. If you want to do surgery, you go ahead and do surgery. If you want to have kids, then you go right ahead. You can’t worry about the “what ifs?”, you’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. Do what makes you happy and where you see yourself working and all the rest will come because you've only got one crack at this life, and you may as well make the most of it!

The one thing I would add to that is – Own your ****. What I mean by that is for too long, females have been relegating themselves to the second-class role. You're earning all this money and you want to work your way up to a title that you're happy with, so don't stop. Be financially empowered. Go ahead and understand how you can manage your money better and don't just hand it over to people.

Because I'm a single parent, I've had to learn how to manage my money and I think that's probably been one of the most valuable lessons because previously, I wasn't the one doing the financial management and I think it's very empowering when you're making all this money that you'll understand how you use it and utilise it to best maximise it for your family. So, it's a very global sort of role I'm asking you to take on board as a female doctor because you're going to be in one of the most prolific professions a woman can be in by definition. So don't stop. You can have it all, just empower yourself.