Ragavi Jeyakumar awarded Rhodes Scholarship

The Governor of NSW, Margaret Beazley, with the NSW Rhodes Scholar for 2025 Dr Ragavi Jeyakumar

15th Oct 2024

The daughter of Guyra GP Thampapillai Jeyakumar and his wife Indrani has been announced as the NSW Rhodes Scholar for 2025.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Dr Ragavi Jeyakumar studied medicine and is passionate about health equity. She hopes to work towards making Australia’s health system fairer and more accessible.
Dr Jeyakumar completed her Bachelor of Medical Studies, Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons) Class I and Doctor of Medicine studies at UNSW in 2023 and is working as a junior doctor at Liverpool Hospital.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international scholarship programs, enabling young people to study at Oxford University.
Dr Jeyakumar will pursue a doctorate in Women’s and Reproductive Health at Oxford University. She said it feels “very surreal” to be this year’s NSW Rhodes Scholar. She said she is determined to make the most of her time in Oxford and feels a strong responsibility to learn and grow as much as she can.
Driven by a deep commitment to health equity, she aims to explore innovative solutions to make Australia’s healthcare system more accessible and fairer for all. Her passion stems from witnessing the disparities firsthand while growing up in rural New South Wales.
“I’ve seen community members inflicted with easily preventable conditions and watched my friends struggle to access mental and reproductive health services,” Dr Jeyakumar said.
“I wish to explore ways to help make our health system more equitable, accessible, and culturally safe so that it meets the needs of all Australians, including our First Nations peoples, women, rural, or culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
“I’m eager to learn from the diverse perspectives of Oxford and Rhodes communities who are passionate about inspiring positive change in the world. And I’m determined to make the most of the opportunity by learning and growing as much as I can so I can return and advance women’s health in rural Australia.”
Dr Jeyakumar arrived from Sri Lanka when she was six. She grew up in the NSW towns of Wee Waa and Guyra and completed her schooling in Armidale.

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Ragavi Jeyakumar awarded Rhodes Scholarship

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