‘Don't give up before you try’: Cobram-raised surgeon’s advice

“Don’t give up before you try,” she said.

At 18, Dr Wilson left Cobram to study science at the University of Melbourne, before completing her honours in HIV research through the Burnet Institute and the National Serology Reference Laboratory at St Vincent’s in Fitzroy.

While working in the laboratory, she found herself increasingly interested in the patients behind the research.

“Every time I was getting the results back, looking at the patient's immune responses against different strains of HIV, I was curious as to how the actual patients were doing,” Dr Wilson said.

She later moved to Queensland to complete a postgraduate medical degree at Griffith University, before beginning her career as an intern at Royal Brisbane Hospital.

Afterwards, Dr Wilson returned to Melbourne to begin surgical training at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre before completing rotations at other hospitals.

She returned to Peter MacCallum to complete her PhD in translational research focusing on colorectal cancer.

Dr Wilson then went on to undertake the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australasia and New Zealand training program, which included a year in New Zealand, a year at The Alfred and a robotic surgery fellowship at Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Colorectal surgery first appealed to Dr Wilson because of the variety and the opportunity to diagnose and treat cancer early.

“Some days you might be doing colonoscopies and proctology, then the next day you might be doing a big open procedure and the next day on the robot doing laparoscopic, minimally invasive operations,” she said.

“One of the things I find most rewarding about the job is the different people that you meet along the way and the different journeys that you’re privileged to be a part of with your patients.”

Dr Wilson said she was proud and excited to become the first female colorectal surgeon at both The Alfred and Cabrini Hospitals.

“I think it’s significant to hold these roles, as surgery’s been quite a male-dominated field in the past,” she said.

“The most important thing is that I had some amazing mentors going through training in colorectal and some really fantastic people that encouraged me.”

Dr Wilson said she hoped taking on this role would help make surgical careers feel more accessible to young women.

“I hope that over time, being the first female in different roles will actually become less remarkable because it’s no longer a thing,” she said.

“I am privileged to be joining many outstanding female surgeons across a number of specialities.”

Dr Wilson encouraged any young person living rurally considering a job in any industry to “give it a try” because location should not be a limiting factor.

She also encouraged them to explore university programs and scholarships available to rural students.

“Growing up in the country, the city can seem very far away and like a big daunting place,” she said.

“For a lot of these jobs and degrees, depending on the campus and the university, it can often be a move away from home, your supports and your friends.

“It’s very easy to think that ‘it’s too hard’ or ‘I can’t do this ― I think it’s important that kids don’t rule themselves out before they’ve even had the opportunity to try.

“When you go on these pathways, doors will open that you didn’t even know existed, and you just have to take the opportunities that are presented to you.

“I’m hoping a young person might read this story and think, ‘Oh, I could do that too,’ and will encourage them to pursue a path they hadn’t been confident to pursue before.”