From Queen Margaret College to Global Medical Advocate The Inspiring Journey of Dr Ashna Basu

Queen Margaret College Old Girl Dr Ashna Basu, Class of 2012, has made a name for herself as a Psychiatry Registrar in Sydney, the Chair of the Young Medical Women’s International Association, the President of the Medical Women's Society NSW, an Associate Trainee Editor for the academic journal Australasian Psychiatry and a Conjoint Associate Lecturer at the University of New South Wales. While studying under the NCEA programme, Ashna's college years were filled with a diverse range of subjects that ranged from Mathematics and Science to English. In an interview, she spoke about her journey from QMC to her current positions, and her involvement with the Medical Women's International Association.

Ashna attended QMC right through her schooling years, from age 5 to 18. When reflecting on her time at school she notes being surrounded by women doing ambitious things, reflecting on her strong female role models at QMC with particular mentions of her teachers; Miss Pivac, Mrs Whitely, Ms Macdonell and singing teacher Marion Hall.

She enjoyed multiple areas of study and considered myriad tertiary study options before settling on medicine; "I loved a lot of different things. I liked English, I liked Mathematics and Science. I was toying with the idea of law and international relations or journalism, and was interested in medicine as well. The staff at QMC made me feel like I had a lot of options I could pursue.” She further explained, "Ultimately when I broke it down to first principles, what am I interested in? And I was very interested in science, specifically the human body. I was really interested in research. I was interested in teaching. I loved writing, I liked the law. I liked talking to people and caring for people. And medicine is a career that has 10 careers in one and it made sense to me as a field where I could pursue all of my separate interests."

Ashna moved to Sydney and commenced her studies at The University of New South Wales straight after finishing school. Her time at university was punctuated with many varied experiences –performing in UNSW MedShow, vocal director of the UNSW Med Revue, serving as a board director of the student union and completing an internship with management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

After her medical degree, and before commencing work as a doctor, Ashna completed further study with a Master of Health Leadership and Management. That year, she was also selected as one of 75 global scholars to attend Harvard Medical School and MIT, to study healthcare innovation. Alongside study, she worked as a mental health strategy consultant, co-writing UNSW’s inaugural Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. In between work and study, she made time to travel – visiting South Africa, India, Hawaii and of course returning home to see her parents.

In addition to her rigorous coursework, Ashna has been involved in many passion projects throughout her university years, and she believes that these projects trace back to the gender equity values she learned at QMC. She said, "Gender equity and social justice is a really important part of being a doctor, as well as a community member.

She co-founded a charity called Pink Sparrow, which provides governance advisory services to other nonprofits, and became involved in the Medical Women's International Association, a global organisation that advocates for women in medicine and works to improve health outcomes for women around the world.

Ashna’s work with the MWIA has been particularly impactful. As the Chair of the Young Medical Women's International Association, she represents all medical women under the age of 40 globally and works to create a global community of young medical women. "It's amazing when you talk to a young medical woman in Nigeria and you realise you face so many of the same challenges," she says, "We have the same issues. We laugh at the same stuff. We struggle with the same things - that's really special. But it’s also crucial to understand how their life might be different to your own. And that's an important education as well."

More recently, she identified that when people of all genders, but often women, want to return to the workforce and they want to come in part-time the onus is almost always on the person to find a job-share partner which can be difficult. So she developed a website that allowed people to put up a listing and then find a potential job-share partner through the website.

In addition to her work with the MWIA, Ashna has also become a respected voice in the field of psychiatry. She is completing her Psychiatry specialty training, and sits on the editorial board of one of Australasia’s leading psychiatric academic journals –Australasian Psychiatry.

Ashna’s work has been recognised with a number of prestigious awards, including receiving the 2022 Australian Medical Association’s Women’s Health Award, and being recognised as a Finalist for NSW Young Woman of the Year 2023.

Despite her impressive achievements, Ashna remains humble, down-to-earth and focused on the work that still needs to be done. "I've been very fortunate in my life and in my career thus far," she says, "But I also feel like I have a lot more to do. There are so many things that need to be fixed in the world and so many people who need our help."

For Ashna, one of the most pressing issues facing medicine today is the need for greater gender equity. she says, "Our health is dictated by everything about us and our surroundings and how we are integrated into society and how people view us. So that to me is just another arm of health. And of course, that's something that I am passionate about as a doctor."

Ashna's journey from QMC to her current position has been nothing short of impressive. Her passion for medicine, gender equity, and social justice has been the driving force behind her many achievements. As she continues to make strides in her career, there is no doubt that Ashna will continue to inspire future generations of young women to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on the world.