Student Scholarships supporting dreams

With the support and generosity of our philanthropic donors, UQ student scholarships give students the chance to reach their full potential and make a positive contribution to the lives of others.

unideintified female student writing notes with open text books around her

Adobe Stock image

Adobe Stock image

Bronwyn Bevan-Smith in her gradution cap and gown holding her newborn son William

Bronwyn Bevan-Smith with her son William

Bronwyn Bevan-Smith with her son William

Bronwyn Bevan-Smith
Rural Doctors Association of Queensland Prize

I am incredibly thankful to the Rural Doctor's Association of Queensland and The University of Queensland Rural Clinical School for the support I received attending the RDAQ2021 conference.

Professionally, I very much enjoyed learning more about the future of rural medicine in Queensland, particularly the highlights and challenges of building a general practice clinic in rural areas. The Doctors in Training stream was a wonderful opportunity to revise clinical teaching and learn additional skills. I also enjoyed hearing about the training experiences of junior doctors in rural areas and the opportunities available. The social events were also a great occasion to meet other medical students interested in rural medicine.

With thanks to RDAQ and UQRCS, I very much look forward to continuing to be involved with RDAQ throughout my medical career. Since completing my medical degree at the UQ Toowoomba Rural Clinical School, my family and I have settled into life in Toowoomba. I'm now in my intern year at the Toowoomba Base Hospital and hoping to complete my junior training locally, before training to become a GP with special interest in women's and children's health in the Darling Downs/ Granite Belt area.

Dr Donald Perry-Keene
Drs Donald and Isobel Perry-Keene Family Scholarship

My wife, Dr Isobel Perry-Keene (nee McNaught), and I both graduated from the UQ medical course in 1966, with Isobel the second ever woman to be awarded First Class Honours. I progressed to FRACP, becoming an endocrinologist, and Isobel to FANZCA as an anaesthetist. Both of us came from lower income families in regional Queensland and had help as undergraduates from Open and Commonwealth Scholarships.

At our 50-year reunion in 2016 we convinced our year group to fund a scholarship for a first-year medical student who was financially in need, which was duly awarded the following year. When Isobel and I had some spare funds after realizing some investments in 2019 to fund Isobel’s entry into a nursing home after a stroke, we discussed establishing a Perry-Keene Family Scholarship. We were delighted to see our donation to UQ Medicine matched by The University of Queensland as part of the Create Change Scholarship Match. The scholarship is for a medical student in financial need with a preference for someone from the Bundaberg or Wide Bay region. The first scholarship was awarded in 2021 and the second in 2022.

My mother and three sisters were physiotherapists, while a great Aunt and an uncle and several cousins were doctors, and our daughter is a Medical Histopathologist. Therefore, we are so pleased to try to assist a medical student to pursue a career in medicine. We hope to maintain contact over the years with the recipients of the Drs Donald and Isobel Perry-Keene Family Scholarship.

Dr Donald Perry-Keene with inaugural recipient Jasmine Pienaar

Dr Donald Perry-Keene with inaugural recipient Jasmine Pienaar

Dr Donald Perry-Keene with inaugural recipient Jasmine Pienaar