Matilda is currently working as a general surgery trainee doctor at Western Health in Victoria. After pursuing musical interests early completing a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Composition) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) she changed paths to complete a postgraduate Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (Hons) at the University of Sydney. Since completing her degree, she has pursued her interest in surgery and been accepted onto the general surgery training program through Western Health, Victoria.
Matilda has followed a strong interest in research into system-based change in health care. Her interest stemmed from her Honours project at the Kids Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, which investigated the social effects of living with rare diseases on the daily lives of paediatric patients and their families. Since graduating she has pursued research projects that focus on small system based changes to improve patient outcomes. Her work recently has been through the Trauma Department at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, developing a simple checklist to aid doctors performing procedures in acute trauma settings to reduce simple errors and improve patient outcomes.
Matilda has kept up her musical interests, playing cello in the Melbourne Doctor’s Orchestra Corpus Medicorum and saxophone in small ensemble jazz gigs. She has performed in many different countries including the United States. She plays basketball for Melbourne University Ladies team and is a keen boxer. Matilda aims to make a difference not only through her individual work as a doctor but improving the system as a whole, especially within the surgical field.
Matilda aims to complete a Masters of Public Health at Columbia or Harvard University in the USA. Â Knowledge gained from these exceptional institutions will guide her research interests as well as her future career based around clinical practice, surgical academia and involvement in health policy and systems.
Specifically, Matilda will focus on studying health behaviours and social determinants of health, in order to better understand what drives levels of health engagement and health literacy in different populations, with the aim to improve overall health care delivery to our diverse community.