Jerusha Mather is a PhD candidate in biomedical science at Victoria University and an inaugural member of the Australian Academy of Science’s group of twelve STEM Women Changemakers. 

Ever since she was a teenager she’s had the ambition to become a medical doctor. Living with cerebral palsy, she has become a leading advocate for greater accessibility in medical education. 

Jerusha volunteers at Northern Health and during the Covid-19 crisis, she led a campaign for people to write letters of comfort to the elderly.

1. What are you doing your Phd on?

There are two parts to my PhD project. The first part is a systematic review on the motor and neuromuscular effects of strength training in adults with cerebral palsy. The second part is a survey on the barriers to exercise in adults with cerebral palsy. 

I was going to do a clinical trial on strength training and transcranial direct current stimulation in adults with cerebral palsy — I received a research grant to do this —  but due to the pandemic, I had to stop it. I am still really interested in non-invasive brain stimulation and will continue to do research in this area, hopefully in the near future.

2. Do you recall the moment when you decided you wanted to become a doctor?

When I was a teenager, I visited the hospital for a check up. There I met a little girl with cerebral palsy. She smiled at me and I said hello and smiled back. She came to me and we played a game or two. That was the day my dream of becoming a doctor started. I decided I wanted to help people living with similar experiences to mine. I thought it would be pretty cool to play a important part in people’s lives and use my experiences as a person with a disability, to guide my motivations and practices. At the same time, my passion and curiosity for the biological sciences was growing.

3. How will your experience of living with cerebral palsy influence the way you practice medicine?

My experiences (both good and bad) motivate me to bring change to the health systems and encourage a more patient centered environment. 

Living with cerebral palsy has made me empathetic and compassionate and I hope this unique sort of empathy and compassion will make for a more comfortable dialogue between myself and the patient. I am naturally sensitive to the needs of others, and I genuinely want to support people to live their best lives, increase their health outcomes, and improve their quality of life. 

I would also like to change the way the medical profession speaks about disability. I think disability is underrepresented in the medical profession. There is still a lot of inaccessibility and bias. We often associate disability with suffering or weakness. This is an incorrect association. Disability is just another part of human diversity. It is okay to be different. The greater the diversity, the better. 

4. What challenges have you encountered in applying for medical school?

I find handwriting challenging and to get into medical school, you need to get a competitive score on the GAMSAT which is for the most part, a handwritten test. 

There are also some discriminatory attitudes and policies that I am concerned about, in particularly a policy document such as the Inherent requirements for studying medicine in Australia and New Zealand created by the Medical Deans that lists physical and sensual qualities that they believe a doctor must exhibit. I couldn’t believe how little was said about this policy at that time. That’s when I took the lead, advocating in the media and through other platforms. I’m currently working with someone from the Australian Medical Association (Victoria) to try and change this. I’m very grateful for their support on this matter. 

I’ve also had to overcome a lot of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fears if people would accept me as their doctor. Fears of how my colleagues will treat me. Fears of how I will handle extreme situations. Fears of how I will perform medical procedures. Fears if I will ever get into medical school. Fears that I will let the public down. But I just had to dig in with the fear and face it. Becoming the boss over my fear.

5. How do you think medical schools and medical education can be more accessible to people with disabilities? What would be the impact of this on patient and doctor experiences?

Similar to what is offered to indigenous students, I think we also need alternative pathways and entry schemes for students with a disability. We are also a group that is severely underrepresented. Something needs to be done to level the playing field. 

A good example of an accessible admissions policy is that of James Cook University. This is one of the few universities in Australia that does not require the applicant to sit the GAMSAT test. 

The impact of this on the patient and doctor would be enormously positive. It would create more caring and compassionate doctors, building a healthier workplace. Their peers will learn to accept patients with a disability through getting to know them. It will be a true revolution of genuine empathy. It would cater for a more diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Accessibility in hospital environments would improve too. The way in which other doctors talk about disability will also change, bringing about less biases. In fact, people with a disability will be more willing to approach a doctor if they have similar experiences to them. It would be more comfortable and less confronting. 

6. Which area of medicine are you most interested in?

If given the chance, I would like to become a rehabilitation physician. Rehab medicine oversees the care of people with a disability. You get to work with a multi-disciplinary team including therapists to enable the best possible outcome for the person. This area of medicine has flexible working hours and I think I would find it rewarding. I am genuinely passionate about bringing meaningful solutions to the challenges that people may feel. I feel this area will suit my abilities and people would benefit from my lived experiences. 

I also love research. Research gets to the heart of the challenge and looks for meaningful answers. I would also be interested in continuing my research trajectory as a clinician researcher and continue to research non-invasive brain stimulation. I find this area extremely fascinating and have been using it on my own brain and am seeing some beneficial effects. It is wonderful how sending tiny electrical signals near the damaged part of the brain can have healing effects. 

7. Are there doctors you look to for inspiration and motivation?

One of my biggest motivators and inspiration is Dr Janice Brunstrom. She is a paediatric neurologist in America. She started a clinic for people with cerebral palsy. 

Dr Thomas Strax is a rehabilitation psychiatrist with cerebral palsy and has taught many medical students. He held many leadership positions in medicine. He is also a big motivator in my life. 

Whenever I feel the urge to give up, I remember these stories, that keeps me empowered and inspired.