Supporting Education

A legacy of support for women’s Health: Dr Lesley Shorne Memorial Scholarship

2020 marked ten years since the passing of highly regarded women’s advocate Dr Lesley Shorne, but her legacy continues through the Dr Lesley Shorne Memorial Scholarship.

For more than 25 years, health professional and proponent of social justice, Dr Lesley Shorne (BA ’81, BMBS ’84) worked tirelessly to support advancements in women’s health. A leading forensic examiner and pioneer of cervical screening, Dr Shorne achieved significant improvements for women in medical and legal processes relating to sexual assault.

In 2010, when Dr Shorne passed away at just 53 years of age, her family chose to create a scholarship at Flinders University to continue her important work in women’s health and advocacy.

The Dr Lesley Shorne Memorial Scholarship assists female, mature-entry Doctor of Medicine students with costs associated with their degree and supports their study / life balance. Since 2012 the scholarship has assisted nine female mature age entry students – five are now graduate doctors.

The 2020 Dr Lesley Shorne Memorial Scholarship was awarded to second-year Doctor of Medicine student, Vanshika Sinh.

Dr Lesley Shorne (1957 to 2010)

‘Advocating for the rights of people within minority communities, particularly women, is something I am very passionate about and is the reason I applied for medical school,’ says Vanshika.

‘Receiving the scholarship has taken some of the pressure off having to work while studying and has allowed me to instead to dedicate time to learning about the inequality of the health care system for certain groups in society.’

Proud to support her sister’s legacy, Dorothy Shorne says, ‘It is heartening to see the dedication to women’s health, social justice and equity that the scholarship recipients demonstrate, initially in their placements and later as qualified medical practitioners.

‘The scholarship benefits not only the recipients, but ultimately the patients with whom they work.’

Community partnerships such as the Dr Lesley Shorne Memorial Scholarship foster the University’s commitment to social justice and are fundamental in preparing future doctors to value equity and integrity in their practice.

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