Dr Maccalla Fenn, recipient of the 2024 RACS Johnson & Johnson MedTech Scholarship, is using the award to advance her training and strengthen global connections with peers. She says the scholarship has placed her one step closer to realising her goal of becoming a surgeon.

She is now completing a Masters of Trauma at the University of Newcastle, focusing on research. “I love the fast pace and high stakes of a trauma response. The injuries force you to think on your feet and work as a tight-knit team,” she says.

Emergency work energises her. “I don’t think I would enjoy my job as much without it.”

A focus on paediatric trauma
The pace of trauma also brings challenges. Research is hard in high-pressure settings, and even harder in paediatrics where evidence is limited. This gap motivates her. “I want to contribute to more robust paediatric trauma protocols to help everyone feel more comfortable managing such a demanding clinical picture.

“The more time I spend expanding my knowledge and honing my skills, the more I think I can be a surgeon.”

She has felt imposter syndrome, but each opportunity strengthens her belief in her path. “The more I’m given the opportunity to learn, the more I feel I’m exactly where I belong.”

Dr Fenn’s Indigenous heritage grounds her work. “It has given me a strong connection to country and to community, and throughout my medical journey these values have played a major role in how I approach health.”

She often repeats advice from her grandfather, a Bundjalung elder. “I’m the doctor who tells patients to get some fresh air or a bit of sunshine.” He taught her the value of family and connection, and she carries that into her practice.

Barriers and change
Dr Fenn sees the broader challenges clearly. For Indigenous Australians, access to healthcare is a major barrier. Long travel distances and limited local services make consistent care difficult. This is compounded by mistrust of the system and low health literacy. 

She believes early education can shift this. “Teaching children from a young age about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and how to achieve it, is key to long-term health. This education must be culturally appropriate and grounded in shared decision-making.”

For her, empowerment also means giving people a stronger voice in their care and creating safe, respectful spaces. Visible role models matter. “When young people see Indigenous clinicians leading in health, it builds confidence and drives lasting change.”

From the stage to the theatre
Her interest in medicine started early. She remembers coming home from preschool with a cardboard doctor’s bag covered in band aids, announcing she wanted to be a doctor.

But in her first year of school, the performing arts stole her heart for a long time until her mother nudged towards a steadier path. 

Her interest in the body and the decisiveness of surgery eventually won. “So here I am in a different, but just as exhilarating, theatre.”

Lessons in care
Her grandmother, who trained as a nurse, shaped her approach to care. “Every skinned knee was tended to with such care. She taught me to be attentive and compassionate.”

Another influence was her primary school drama teacher, who often said, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” She carries this into every interaction. She believes doctors must set ego aside, respect patients and make the world of surgery less frightening—and sometimes even fun.

Dr Fenn’s advice to aspiring surgeons and future RACS scholarship applicants is simple: “If you’re thinking about it, go for it. Grab every opportunity and ask questions—the worst anyone can say is no, but you may end up with a scholarship that changes your life.”

Outside work, she finds balance through time with friends and family. She stays active with hockey, touch football, hiking and enjoying sunshine at the beach.

She still loves the theatre, always has a book on the go, and admits there’s “a very large jigsaw puzzle on my living room floor that I often get lost in.”