Dinesh Palipana OAM | |
---|---|
![]() Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM | |
Born | 1984 (age 39–40) |
Nationality | Australian |
Alma mater | |
Occupation(s) | Doctor and Lawyer |
Political party | Liberal National [1] |
Awards | 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year |
Honours | Order of Australia Medal |
Dinesh Palipana OAM (born 1984) is an Australian doctor, lawyer, scientist and disability advocate. He is the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] [4] [5] He is the second person with quadriplegia to graduate as a doctor in Australia and the first with spinal cord injury. [6]
Palipana has been an advocate for medical students with disabilities in Australia, where significant barriers existed. [7] [8] [9]
Dinesh Palipana obtained a degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology. [10] He then commenced a Doctor of Medicine at the Griffith University, graduating in 2016 as the first quadriplegic medical graduate in the state of Queensland, the second in Australia. He graduated with several awards [11] and was featured in the Griffith University video Dinesh Palipana is remarkable. [12] He completed a medical clerkship at Harvard Medical School. [13] Palipana holds the title of lecturer at Griffith University. [14] Dinesh was admitted as a lawyer in September, 2020. [15]
Following a spinal cord injury, Palipana found adapted ways to be trained as a quadriplegic doctor in partnership with Griffith University and the Gold Coast University Hospital. [16] This was a previously unaccomplished feat in Queensland. He has consequently openly advocated for training medical students with disabilities in Australia. [17]
Despite spending two years in clinical training as a medical student at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana faced challenges in securing initial employment in his home state of Queensland under Queensland Health. [18] [19] At one point, he was the only Queensland medical graduate without an employment offer for the year 2016 despite testaments to his ability. [20]
He was eventually employed by the Gold Coast University Hospital to become Queensland's first quadriplegic intern. [21] He has worked in the emergency department [22] at the hospital, the second busiest department in Australia in 2017. [23] [24] He was nominated for an Intern of the Year award at the Gold Coast University Hospital in 2017. [25]
With an interest in radiology, [26] he is a contributor on Radiopaedia, a radiology education portal designed for medical professionals. [27]
In 2020, Palipana became the team doctor for the Gold Coast Titans Physical Disability Rugby League team. [28] He served as a senior advisor to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. [29]
Palipana was appointed to the board of directors at George Steuart Group in 2024. [30]
During medical school, Palipana was involved in a car accident causing a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia. [31] [32] He was 25 years old at the time. The 2010 motor vehicle accident occurred on Brisbane's Gateway Motorway. [33] A physician attending the accident scene with emergency services had taught Palipana during medical school. [34] During his recuperation, Palipana experienced complications that included sepsis and pleural effusion. [35]
Palipana subsequently spent seven months at a spinal injuries unit in the Princess Alexandra Hospital. [36] [37] He met the boxer Joe Frazier during his admission in hospital. [38]
While recuperating from his injury, Palipana spent some time in Sri Lanka. [39] During that time, he was noted for raising awareness [40] and funding [41] for spinal cord injury in the country. In 2013, he gifted a stock of medical supplies for spinal cord injury to the then Minister of Health [42] Maithripala Sirisena. [43] Palipana sits on the council of the Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network. [44]
In 2015, the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand issued a set of guidelines providing Australian medical schools the power to exclude students with a range of disabilities. [45] The guidelines can potentially be used exclude medical students with similar conditions to Palipana. By using his story as an example, [46] Palipana has been a vocal advocate for taking an inclusive approach to medical education in the country instead. [47] [48] [49] Palipana has been using his story to demonstrate ways in which doctors, [50] [51] [52] and the wider population, [53] [54] [55] [56] can work effectively with disabilities. In 2018, he was a keynote speaker at Stanford Medicine X at the Stanford University [57] [58] and TEDxBrisbane [59] on the topic. Through various capacities, he has been an advocate for inclusive employment generally. [60] [61]
He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, an advocacy group for physicians with disabilities. [62] [63] Through Doctors with Disabilities Australia, Palipana supported some Indian peers in an Indian High Court case during 2019. [64] The case involved a challenge of the Medical Council of India's decisions around medical education and disabilities. [65]
Palipana is a member of the Ambassador Council at the Hopkins Centre, a centre for research in rehabilitation and resilience. [66] [67] He has been a member of the Australian Medical Association Queensland's Council of Doctors in Training since 2017. [68] Palipana has worked with the Australian Medical Association to promote inclusion in the profession. [69] Since gaining employment at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana has promoted inclusion within the organisation. [70] [71]
He became an ambassador for Physical Disability Australia in 2020. [72] In 2021, he became an ambassador to the IncludeAbility project of the Australian Human Rights Commission. [73]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Palipana advocated for the interests of people with disabilities, [74] [75] particularly in healthcare. [76] [77] Palipana appeared on ABC's Q&A to speak about the issue. [78] He spoke at the 2020 Disability Royal Commission on the topic. [79] [80]
Palipana was involved in advocating for changes to a spinal injuries unit in Queensland. [81] [82]
Palipana has interests in spinal cord injury research. [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] He was awarded $2 million in 2019 to pursue research in thought-controlled rehabilitation. [88] The study was featured on The Project. [89] The work received a further $3.8 million in 2023. [90] He attributes this passion to his own injury. Palipana is a member of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation's scientific committee. [91]
Palipana's interest includes non-invasive interventions to promote functional improvement in spinal cord injury. [92] [93] Some of these interventions have involved electroencephalography (EEG) and electrical stimulation, [94] which was highlighted in Griffith University's Be Remarkable media campaign. [95] He has been encouraged by a mentor at Harvard University, where he was one of the first visiting medical students of this nature. [96] The project received $2 million Australian in 2019 from the Queensland Government. [97]
Palipana has published articles on disability, COVID-19 and medicine. [98]
Palipana was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka to Chithrani and Sanath Palipana. He grew up in Byron Bay and Brisbane, Australia. [99] Palipana attributes much of his success to the support of his mother. [100] [101] [102]
Palipana's story was featured on the popular ABC radio show Conversations with Richard Fidler, [103] the ABC television show Australian Story, [104] BBC Outlook, [105] Today, [106] and Vice (magazine). [107] He appeared on the cover of Sri Lanka's Pulse [108] Magazine in January 2020. Dinesh has spoken at various events such as TED (conference) [109] and alongside figures such as Kerry O'Brien [110] [111] and Deng Thiak Adut [112] regarding his experiences. [113] [114] [115]
Palipana has written for Ars Technica, [116] ABC News (Australia) [117] and Medscape. [118]
Palipana was a runway model for the Adaptive Fashion Collective at the Australian Fashion Week and appeared in Vogue [119] and Harper's Bazaar. [120] He has been featured in the Brisbane Portrait Prize. [121]
Palipana's autobiography Stronger was released by Pan MacMillan in 2022. [122]
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Dinesh Palipana OAM | |
---|---|
![]() Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM | |
Born | 1984 (age 39–40) |
Nationality | Australian |
Alma mater | |
Occupation(s) | Doctor and Lawyer |
Political party | Liberal National [1] |
Awards | 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year |
Honours | Order of Australia Medal |
Dinesh Palipana OAM (born 1984) is an Australian doctor, lawyer, scientist and disability advocate. He is the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] [4] [5] He is the second person with quadriplegia to graduate as a doctor in Australia and the first with spinal cord injury. [6]
Palipana has been an advocate for medical students with disabilities in Australia, where significant barriers existed. [7] [8] [9]
Dinesh Palipana obtained a degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology. [10] He then commenced a Doctor of Medicine at the Griffith University, graduating in 2016 as the first quadriplegic medical graduate in the state of Queensland, the second in Australia. He graduated with several awards [11] and was featured in the Griffith University video Dinesh Palipana is remarkable. [12] He completed a medical clerkship at Harvard Medical School. [13] Palipana holds the title of lecturer at Griffith University. [14] Dinesh was admitted as a lawyer in September, 2020. [15]
Following a spinal cord injury, Palipana found adapted ways to be trained as a quadriplegic doctor in partnership with Griffith University and the Gold Coast University Hospital. [16] This was a previously unaccomplished feat in Queensland. He has consequently openly advocated for training medical students with disabilities in Australia. [17]
Despite spending two years in clinical training as a medical student at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana faced challenges in securing initial employment in his home state of Queensland under Queensland Health. [18] [19] At one point, he was the only Queensland medical graduate without an employment offer for the year 2016 despite testaments to his ability. [20]
He was eventually employed by the Gold Coast University Hospital to become Queensland's first quadriplegic intern. [21] He has worked in the emergency department [22] at the hospital, the second busiest department in Australia in 2017. [23] [24] He was nominated for an Intern of the Year award at the Gold Coast University Hospital in 2017. [25]
With an interest in radiology, [26] he is a contributor on Radiopaedia, a radiology education portal designed for medical professionals. [27]
In 2020, Palipana became the team doctor for the Gold Coast Titans Physical Disability Rugby League team. [28] He served as a senior advisor to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. [29]
Palipana was appointed to the board of directors at George Steuart Group in 2024. [30]
During medical school, Palipana was involved in a car accident causing a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia. [31] [32] He was 25 years old at the time. The 2010 motor vehicle accident occurred on Brisbane's Gateway Motorway. [33] A physician attending the accident scene with emergency services had taught Palipana during medical school. [34] During his recuperation, Palipana experienced complications that included sepsis and pleural effusion. [35]
Palipana subsequently spent seven months at a spinal injuries unit in the Princess Alexandra Hospital. [36] [37] He met the boxer Joe Frazier during his admission in hospital. [38]
While recuperating from his injury, Palipana spent some time in Sri Lanka. [39] During that time, he was noted for raising awareness [40] and funding [41] for spinal cord injury in the country. In 2013, he gifted a stock of medical supplies for spinal cord injury to the then Minister of Health [42] Maithripala Sirisena. [43] Palipana sits on the council of the Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network. [44]
In 2015, the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand issued a set of guidelines providing Australian medical schools the power to exclude students with a range of disabilities. [45] The guidelines can potentially be used exclude medical students with similar conditions to Palipana. By using his story as an example, [46] Palipana has been a vocal advocate for taking an inclusive approach to medical education in the country instead. [47] [48] [49] Palipana has been using his story to demonstrate ways in which doctors, [50] [51] [52] and the wider population, [53] [54] [55] [56] can work effectively with disabilities. In 2018, he was a keynote speaker at Stanford Medicine X at the Stanford University [57] [58] and TEDxBrisbane [59] on the topic. Through various capacities, he has been an advocate for inclusive employment generally. [60] [61]
He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, an advocacy group for physicians with disabilities. [62] [63] Through Doctors with Disabilities Australia, Palipana supported some Indian peers in an Indian High Court case during 2019. [64] The case involved a challenge of the Medical Council of India's decisions around medical education and disabilities. [65]
Palipana is a member of the Ambassador Council at the Hopkins Centre, a centre for research in rehabilitation and resilience. [66] [67] He has been a member of the Australian Medical Association Queensland's Council of Doctors in Training since 2017. [68] Palipana has worked with the Australian Medical Association to promote inclusion in the profession. [69] Since gaining employment at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana has promoted inclusion within the organisation. [70] [71]
He became an ambassador for Physical Disability Australia in 2020. [72] In 2021, he became an ambassador to the IncludeAbility project of the Australian Human Rights Commission. [73]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Palipana advocated for the interests of people with disabilities, [74] [75] particularly in healthcare. [76] [77] Palipana appeared on ABC's Q&A to speak about the issue. [78] He spoke at the 2020 Disability Royal Commission on the topic. [79] [80]
Palipana was involved in advocating for changes to a spinal injuries unit in Queensland. [81] [82]
Palipana has interests in spinal cord injury research. [83] [84] [85] [86] [87] He was awarded $2 million in 2019 to pursue research in thought-controlled rehabilitation. [88] The study was featured on The Project. [89] The work received a further $3.8 million in 2023. [90] He attributes this passion to his own injury. Palipana is a member of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation's scientific committee. [91]
Palipana's interest includes non-invasive interventions to promote functional improvement in spinal cord injury. [92] [93] Some of these interventions have involved electroencephalography (EEG) and electrical stimulation, [94] which was highlighted in Griffith University's Be Remarkable media campaign. [95] He has been encouraged by a mentor at Harvard University, where he was one of the first visiting medical students of this nature. [96] The project received $2 million Australian in 2019 from the Queensland Government. [97]
Palipana has published articles on disability, COVID-19 and medicine. [98]
Palipana was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka to Chithrani and Sanath Palipana. He grew up in Byron Bay and Brisbane, Australia. [99] Palipana attributes much of his success to the support of his mother. [100] [101] [102]
Palipana's story was featured on the popular ABC radio show Conversations with Richard Fidler, [103] the ABC television show Australian Story, [104] BBC Outlook, [105] Today, [106] and Vice (magazine). [107] He appeared on the cover of Sri Lanka's Pulse [108] Magazine in January 2020. Dinesh has spoken at various events such as TED (conference) [109] and alongside figures such as Kerry O'Brien [110] [111] and Deng Thiak Adut [112] regarding his experiences. [113] [114] [115]
Palipana has written for Ars Technica, [116] ABC News (Australia) [117] and Medscape. [118]
Palipana was a runway model for the Adaptive Fashion Collective at the Australian Fashion Week and appeared in Vogue [119] and Harper's Bazaar. [120] He has been featured in the Brisbane Portrait Prize. [121]
Palipana's autobiography Stronger was released by Pan MacMillan in 2022. [122]
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