In the remote Northern Territory, Dr Leah Ginnivan’s commitment to paediatric care has recently been recognised with the prestigious GPRA Professor Alan Walker Paediatric Scholarship.

This award, named after a trailblazer in NT paediatrics, highlights Leah’s work in improving health outcomes for children in some of Australia’s most isolated communities.

Born into a big Irish Catholic farming family Leah spent her formative years on Dhudhuroa country, in the Indigo Valley in north-east Victoria.

Her initial academic pursuits were in literature and anthropology, followed by a career in policy and politics, before ultimately deciding to study medicine. 

“Biology and physiology are amazing fields of learning. I also realised if I was a doctor, I could hear people’s stories all day, and I know that’s something I will always enjoy.”

Her aunt, a GP in country Victoria, played a pivotal role in her decision to pursue a career in primary care.

“As a medical student, I sat in on some consults with her,” she says.

“In a day, rural GPs might manage everything from pregnancy and birth, unwell children, complex mental health presentations, acute illnesses and new cancer diagnoses. Watching the work of skilled primary care clinicians like her – and the care that comes with knowing patients over a lifetime – clarified for me the enormous need for primary care and that I wanted to work in this sector”.

Leah’s career has been marked by her dedication to serving remote communities.