As we mark Reconciliation Week, we also celebrate a significant milestone at the University of New England — three First Nations women graduating with a Doctors of Medicine: Shahla-Rae Peachey, Brianna St John, and Johanna Caulfield. Their achievements are a powerful testament to academic excellence, cultural strength, resilience, and the community spirit that continues to shape the future of healthcare across our regions.
In Short
We're zooming in on Johanna Caulfield, who turned adversity into drive and carved her path to medicine. She juggled motherhood, study, and hardship with fierce determination and community strength. Her story speaks of leadership, resilience, and a bold mission to heal and serve.
For me, it’s always been about doing what needs to be done.
For Johanna Caulfield, that simple statement captures a journey shaped by purpose, grounded in family, and supported by community.
Born in Gunnedah, NSW, Johanna says she’s always found it difficult to answer the question, “Can you tell your story?” For her, it’s never been about spotlighting obstacles, it’s been about responding to what life brings. Two major life events deeply shaped her decision to study medicine: in 2012, while living in Tamworth, her six-year-old niece was mauled by a dog and nearly died. Then in 2016, her husband was involved in a major motor vehicle accident that left him with ongoing physical disabilities and chronic pain. These experiences planted the seed of a desire to pursue medicine — a desire rooted in care, impact, and healing.
A New Direction
In 2018, Johanna began commuting daily from Tamworth to Armidale to complete a Diploma in Science. Later that year, she was accepted into the Miroma Bunbilla program; a competitive medical entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The week-long program was challenging, especially being away from her young family, but it proved to be a defining experience where she formed lifelong friendships.
In 2019, Johanna and her family relocated to Armidale so she could begin medical school. At the time, her children were just 5 and 8 years old.
When Community Steps In
Medical school brought many challenges, among them, financial hardship. Scholarships weren’t available unless Johanna lived in on-campus college accommodation, which wasn’t suitable for her family’s needs.
One turning point came early in her studies. Her Problem Based Learning tutor, Jenny, recognised Johanna’s struggles and took action — organising a meeting with the School of Rural Medicine and the Oorala Aboriginal Centre. From that meeting, the Indigenous Medical Scholarship was created. Johanna became its first recipient, a moment she says she’ll always be grateful for.
Rising to the Challenge
Balancing full-time study and parenting left little room for anything else. From third year onward, she worked casually in the anatomy lab, tutoring and supporting the body donor program, experiences that added depth to her medical education.
In January 2024, Johanna found out she was pregnant with her third child. She completed her full-time placements without vacation until 38 weeks pregnant and gave birth to Leo at 39 weeks. At just six weeks postpartum, she returned to complete the final six weeks of placement. Not long after, she required an emergency gallbladder removal surgery when Leo was only 15 weeks old.
In January 2025, her family moved to begin her full-time Hospital internship, while still caring for her four-month-old baby.
Image: Johanna with Director of Oorala, Sam Fowler and Head of School of Rural Medicine, Michelle Guppy.
The People Behind the Journey
Johanna says none of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of her loved ones.
Her husband, despite his own physical challenges, has been her rock; managing family responsibilities, offering emotional strength, and always believing in her ability to achieve this dream. Her children adapted with grace and resilience, inspiring her daily to keep going. Her parents instilled in her the values of perseverance and trust in life’s path and were a constant source of guidance and encouragement.
She also acknowledges the importance of the mentors and friends who became family — through childhood, life’s ups and downs, medical school, and through Oorala — describing them as “lifelines of compassion and strength. Their belief in me lit the path forward when I doubted myself.”
Where She Is Now
Johanna is now working full-time in a regional Hospital, currently in the second of five rotations in her intern year. It’s been a demanding journey, but one she says has been entirely worth it.
And for others who might be thinking about taking a similar step, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students — Johanna offers this:
Don’t wait until it’s easy, because it might never be. If it matters to you, take the step. There’s strength in your story, and you never walk the road alone.
