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A doctor with determination Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM While at medical school, Dinesh Palipana had an accident that left him with quadriplegia. Determined to resume his career, Dinesh is now a Senior Resident Medical Officer in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Lecturer at Griffith University and Adjunct Research Fellow at the Menzies Health Institute of Queensland. We spoke with Dinesh about his journey from patient to doctor and his work as one of the founders of Doctors with Disabilities Australia. How was it returning to a medical career after the accident? I wanted to return to medical school from the moment the accident happened, but I didn't know how I could. In the ambulance, I met the same doctor who had lectured us about emergency medicine. I had been impressed with his work and I told him that I wanted to get back to medical school. He was very sympathetic. Griffith University was also very supportive. But it wasn't without challenges – I had to re-learn things that I'd taken for granted, like how to use a stethoscope. But my patients have been 100% positive and accepting, and rarely have they seen me as different. I don't feel disabled – I feel I've achieved a lot since the accident. Has the experience of being a patient altered how you approach patients? Being a patient is so disempowering. Working in the ED is sometimes very busy and it's easy to get caught up in the job. A distressed patient may come across as angry and frustrated, but when you have a chat with them, you see they're scared and disempowered. I try and remember how I felt and anchor my experience in that. What led to establishing Doctors with Disabilities Australia? In Australia it can be difficult to go through medical school with a disability. When I returned, there were guidelines that could be interpreted strictly to exclude people with disabilities. That's why Drs Hannah Jackson, Harry Eeman and I founded Doctors with Disabilities. We saw there were barriers against physically diverse people coming into medicine, so we felt we needed to advocate for them. Life's given me a lot of opportunities. It's given me strength. How does Doctors with Disabilities help those in the profession? Apart from advocating at a broad level, we help people individually, sharing how we overcame obstacles and giving them problem-solving tips. While I'm lucky to be working in a department that is very accepting, other areas within the profession can be very difficult to navigate. There are institutional barriers, and challenges in the profession and educational institutions. I'm also a member of the AMA Doctors in Training Committee, and we've been drafting policies and talking to colleagues about change. Tell us about your research into spinal cord injuries? There is new research that is very promising in restoring function in those with spinal cord injuries. For the first time, we've seen people be able to move their legs or stand again after spinal cord damage, through pharmaceuticals and mechanical thought-controlled movement. It's really exciting to move this along in Australia. How would you like to see the medical profession change to be more inclusive? The community has always trusted our opinion as thought leaders in many areas, and I think now is the time within our profession to look forward and be accepting of a diverse range of people. This will benefit patients and our profession. By embracing different people and giving people an opportunity, we can not only improve the profession, but we can improve society and be a leader in inclusivity. 2 Connect | Issue 13 | December 2019

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