Scholarship ignites career in rural and remote medicine.
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25 years of giving back. Dr Emily Vagg - First AMA Queensland Foundation Medical Student Scholarship Recipient
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In 2004, AMA Queensland Foundation made a commitment to supporting the next generation of doctors through a program for medical students experiencing financial hardship. The first Medical Student Scholarship was awarded in the same year to Emily Vagg.
The scholarship looked a little different then, in that it was reserved for a single James Cook University (JCU) medical student and was designed to support them in smaller instalments over the six years of their medical degree.
In 2019, the scholarship opened to medical students from all Queensland universities who may be experiencing financial disadvantage and with that, moved to a one-off payment.
Now over twenty years since being awarded her scholarship, it would be remiss of us not to catch up with our first recipient, Dr Emily Vagg, in honour of AMA Queensland Foundation’s 25th year. We talked about Dr Vagg’s career in rural medicine and about her experience of receiving a Medical Student Scholarship.
Image above: Emily Vagg in 2006. Banner image: Scholarship recipients Emily Vagg (2004) and Lee Williams (2005) at a Foundation event in 2006.
Easing the burden at a crucial time
Looking back, Dr Vagg said the financial challenges of studying medicine were not top of mind when she first began her degree but soon became apparent after her first year of study.
“I didn't come from money. At one point I had three jobs when I was at Uni, and it was chaos for me. I realised pretty quickly that you can't have that sort of a study commitment and have three jobs on the side. It just wasn't going to be sustainable,” she said.
Dr Vagg said the scholarship came in perfect timing.
“When I received a phone call from the AMA Queensland Foundation informing me that I was the successful bursary applicant for 2004, it was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”
The Medical Student Scholarship supported her to reduce her work hours and focus on her studies and even take a four-week clinical placement in Norway.
“An experience I will never forget,” she said.
Many of our early supporters may remember Dr Emily Vagg’s graduation in 2009 from JCU. A proud moment for Emily and for AMA Queensland Foundation as our first scholarship holder.
Making a difference in rural and remote Queensland
Born in Mount Isa, and having attended high school in Townsville, Emily was always determined to pursue a rural generalist pathway. Upon graduation, she spent three years in Townsville before taking remote positions in Weipa and Cape York.
After having her first child, Dr Vagg moved to the rural town of Ingham, about 110km north of Townsville. She would dedicate the next seven years to roles at Ingham Health Service, spending four years as a Senior Medical Officer, before accepting the position as Medical Superintendent, which she stayed in for a further three years.
“I often say that everyone should do a management job for a while because you see things from a different perspective and maybe you think about workflow and processes with a slightly different view.”
After a brief period in anaesthetics training, Dr Vagg said she felt pulled to go back to rural generalist practice. She now works as a part-time practitioner on Palm Island, flying there from Townsville weekly.
Palm Island has a primary care clinic and a small hospital, with ten beds on the inpatient ward. Dr Vagg said this requires the wearing of many different hats on a daily basis.
“I could be working in the GP clinic or in the emergency department. We see a range of presentations from someone just requiring their repeat prescriptions and medications, to someone have a heart attack or involved in trauma.”
“There’s a lot of problem solving as a rural generalist. You’ve got a broad scope of practise and you don't have specialists and investigations always at your fingertips, so you really rely on your clinical reasoning and your decision making.”
In addition to Palm Island, Dr Vagg provides locum services for remote communities in Western Australia and Northern Territory, where she works with several remote indigenous communities. She also provides anaesthetic locums there too.
Pictured: above Dr Emily Vagg at work in her Palm Island clinic
Support that makes a difference
Looking back on the experience, Dr Vagg said the Medical Student Scholarship is an invaluable resource that helps level the playing field for people from a variety of financial backgrounds.
“Some people that go through university have got lots of financial support, but there are people like me who didn’t, and it’s a struggle, it’s tough. I think it's amazing of the Foundation to offer such assistance and it does make a difference,” she said.
After more than 20 years, Dr Vagg remains incredibly grateful for the opportunity. She would encourage any medical students in a similar position to apply for the scholarship.
“My husband and I still remember meeting Neil Mackintosh and going to the AMA Queensland Foundation Gala Dinner. The scholarship was a real blessing for me, I’m so very grateful.”
Can you help the next generation of Queensland doctors?
Donate to our End of Financial Year Appeal raising funds to support the 2026 Medical Student Scholarships. Help students experiencing financial hardship keep studying and reach their dreams of becoming doctors.
Who knows how many future patients in communities across Queensland could be positively impacted by the show of support they receive today, when they need it most.