Rachel Niesen and Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC.
Esteemed Monash University alum, Rachel Niesen, has been awarded the 2024 Rhodes Scholarship for Victoria by the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, during a ceremony at Government House.
The prestigious scholarship is given to nine distinguished Australians each year, enabling the recipient to pursue graduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Rachel will travel to Oxford in September 2024 where she intends to complete a Master of International Health and Infectious Diseases, followed by a Master of Applied Digital Health.
Rachel graduated from Monash in December 2022 with a Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Medical Sciences, with a Diploma of Languages.
As a junior doctor at Alfred Health, Rachel is passionate about health equity across Australia and the broader global community, and is hoping that her study at Oxford will provide her with the knowledge and skills to contribute to sustainable healthcare systems in low-resource settings.
“I view the Rhodes Scholarship as an opportunity to be intellectually challenged to further develop the values and skills necessary to be a global leader, assisting me in my pursuit of a career centred on achieving health equity,” she said.
“By combining my foundation in clinical medicine with an understanding of health policy and research, I strive to become a strong leader capable of addressing healthcare disparities at a systemic level and advocating for marginalised communities.”
Among her many impressive achievements at Monash, Rachel was the Vice Chair External and Acting Co-Chair of the Global Health Committee of the Australian Medical Students’ Association; Project Director on the National Student Committee for Doctors for the Environment Australia; the Australian representative at the Global Association of Pacific Rim Universities Climate Change Simulation; and the Chair of Ignite Global Health Group (Monash University).
She was awarded the Monash Centre for Health Education Winter Research Scholarship in 2022, the Eastern Health Clinical School Winter Research Scholarship in 2021, and the Wallace Ironside ‘Medicine of the Mind’ Prize in 2018. Rachel also participated in the Monash Minds Leadership Program, which provides a leadership development experience for students who pursue excellence, have a passion for learning, and are deeply committed to community service.
Monash University Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Susan Elliott AM said the scholarship was a strong endorsement of Monash’s reputation as a University that delivers a quality education with life-changing experiences for its students.
“We are immensely proud of Rachel and this significant achievement. The list of extra-curricular contributions Rachel made during her studies at Monash is a great example of the plethora of opportunities available to all that choose to study at our University,” Professor Elliott said.
“I wish Rachel every success during her time at Oxford, and look forward to welcoming her back to Monash in the near future so other students can learn from her experience.”
Rachel attributed the success of her Rhodes Scholar application to her ability to embody the values of the Rhodes Trust, such as her devotion to her patients as a junior doctor, her advocacy for climate action, her pursuit of social justice, and her adventurous spirit shown through her passion for hiking and rock climbing.
The Rhodes Trust awards nine scholarships each year to outstanding Australians to study at the University of Oxford. One Rhodes scholarship is offered in each state (Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania) and three for Australia-at-large.
