HUMANS OF MEDICINE

Each edition of The Auricle, we interview a member of the Monash medical cohort who has been up to something interesting that they are willing to tell to readers of The Auricle. If you think you or someone you know would have an interesting story to share, please contact us!

Name: Katya Gvozdenko

KATYA, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?

For me, medicine was not a straightforward choice, but it was also the only choice I knew I could make at that point in time. During high school, I had many different interests. I mooted, did debating, and law interested me for a while too. But ultimately, it was biology and science which captivated my interests. And knowing that I wanted to keep interaction with people, medicine felt like the right path.

As I stay in medicine longer and longer, I’m becoming more and more passionate about helping people through difficult times, as well as become more and more interested in systems. I’m also particularly interested in medical systems, and trying to figure out ways to make health systems better and smoother, as that’s something that affects every single Australian and person in the world

OUTIDE OF MEDICINE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WOULD BE YOUR INTERESTS?

In terms of interests, I like to keep it diverse. I think the more busy I am outside of med, the more motivated I am to actually study med, which gives me a great balance. I'm currently on the Monash volleyball team, and we're headed down to uni games for Gold Coast in September.

I also like a bit of MedTech I've done some work with the Faculty of Engineering in an entrepreneurship with one of their programs I'm also the co-founder of an aptly named Flu squad which vaccinates Australians. So this year we've had 1600 Australians vaccinated for free against influenza.

My friend and I founded it together, which has been an extremely exciting experience. They're particularly hoping that there'll be a young medical students next year who's excited to take on the reins as I kind of head off into internship.

I’m also working with the Australian government throughout the course of this year. During the summer, I did an internship with the department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, working with the Prime Minister's team on health policy. Currently, I'm in the mental health advisory, looking at how to improve the mental health system due to the issues that are present in that area.

HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED IN PUBLIC POLICY FROM A FEDERAL GOVENRMENT LEVEL AND NOT JUST POLICY FROM MAYBE AN AMSA LEVEL?

You can do the whole state MP thing, you can do through the AMSA route, which I did some of it last year, but this one was a straight internship with the Prime Minister and Cabinet team, and that's honestly the easiest way to do it

During my time, we would draft bills, send it to politicians and they would really quickly respond to it. One of the bills I was personally charged of was the vaping laws that came into effect this year And that was slightly easier to push through cause it's about young people. So as long as you attach it to something that's like “popular”, it's a lot easier.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY PARTICULAR LESSONS OR REVELATIONS THAT YOU'VE LEARNED OR COME TO THROUGH ALL OF YOUR EXPERIENCES?

The first thing that I think I knew in the background, but it came as a surprise to me when I consciously realised it is that great people in, in whatever sphere they're in usually come at the intersection of multiple fields.

Hiking with Prime Minister and Cabinet Interns

For me, I'm trying to figure out what the intersection is Like I want my basis to be medicine. And then the question is, do I like medicine policy, or medicine technology. I'm trying to figure out the balance between where my intersection is.

I’ve found that the most kind of interesting, most innovating, most fascinating kind of people and ideas come from these intersections.

I’ve also realised that in your life you have a long time. But you also have designated years and decades for specific things. For example, in your 20s to 25, you might still be figuring out what going on. Like what do you like, what do you don't like? Maybe 25 to 30, you're trying to concentrate more on your career development So there are times when you have to work harder on specific things and times where you don't

And so times right now where we're quite lucky, where we don't really have too many ties, for example, a family that's relying on me right now, which I understand that for some students, is a factor that changes your equation.

For me, I’m thinking in my thirties, I intend to fully dedicate this time to things like family, as that's will be, that'll be something I'll value most, like at that point in time.

So I consider myself quite fortunate, as I’ve still got eight more years to do fun, cool, exciting stuff. And I wanna do that. Because when you think about eight years, it’s not that awfully that long. So if I'm doing something, I might as well like kind of go all in

I’ve been involved in several med tech related projects and I do think a lot of the future inherently stems from that I think that's why I strive to keep up with it as much.

Because if that's where the future's headed I want to be there. The main one I’ve been involved in is the Healthcare Innovation Summer Scholars, which is being run by MYMI (Monash Young MedTech Innovators), which is also run by the faculty of engineering and the faculty of entrepreneurship. You can apply as a Monash student from any faculty, and you get paired with a clinician who has a medical technical problem, and then your goal is to help them solve it.

Our very basic prototype is currently being trialled at the Alfred. So hopefully this increases the diagnosis rate for people who come into the hospital complaining of dizziness.

Katya Gvodzenko

Falling out of love

In medicine, there are many moments of beauty. Many moments of pain.

I used to wake up every morning, excited and ready for another refreshing day of learning, Another day of physiology to soothe my yearning. A moment of curiosity, grasping a different part of the body, learning a new system, Coursing all the vessels of the body, burying my head in anatomy books, waiting to absorb the wisdom.

A paradigm shift, I don’t understand, Like nothing that has happened beforehand. It feels unfamiliar, foreign and frightening, The same texts seem sickening. Am I falling out of love?

Anatomy seems pointless, I can finally feel the dullness. It’s heavy, dragging me down, This content seems like a knockdown. I need help, I cry, A break is the only thing I fail to justify. I’m falling out of love Help me, I’m drowning, Put a stop To this lunacy, I’ve fallen out of love.

Aadhya Vyas is the current Year 3B Social Representative, this piece was a previous submission to The Auricle Creative Writing and Visual Art