Clinical Professor Rukshen Weerasooriya and Mrs Michelle Weerasooriya have established a scholarship to encourage and support graduates of UWA’s Fairway program to study medicine at UWA.
UWA’s Fairway program is an admission entry pathway and comprehensive support program for students completing Year 12 under challenging circumstances. The program provides academic, financial and personal support, and is responsive to individual student needs throughout their final year of secondary school and during their university studies.
Professor Weerasooriya has a long association with UWA, having graduated with MBBS and BMedSci (first class honours) in 1994 and 1995. His interest in heart health led him to complete his cardiology sub-speciality training by undertaking a postgraduate fellowship which was supported by the Athelstan and Amy Saw Postgraduate Medical Scholarship of UWA. This entailed two years training and research work at the world’s leading centre for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation – the Hopital Cardiologique du Haut Leveque in Bordeaux, France.
He now leads Heart Rhythm Clinic, a private medical practice in Nedlands specialising in the management of cardiac electrical disorders – particularly atrial fibrillation. He has continued to contribute to research and medical education through his role as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at UWA.
"Our family wishes to assist talented students who have overcome challenges in life to succeed. That’s why we chose to support a scholarship specifically for graduates of the Fairway program entering medicine at UWA."
Professor Rukshen Weerasooriya and Mrs Michelle Weerasooriya
The inaugural recipient of the Weerasooriya Family Fairway Medical Scholarship, Mr Abdulla El-Lagta, is a graduate of Al-Ameen College, and is currently enrolled in Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Direct Pathway to Medicine). Abdulla migrated to Australia as a young child and was inspired to pursue medicine through seeing family members affected by illness. He hopes in the future to practice in rural areas and serve communities in need.
Image: Graduate of Al-Ameen College, Mr Abdulla El-Lagta, is the recipient of the Weerasooriya Family Fairway Medical Scholarship.
Dr Tristan Fidler, Fairway Project Officer said that scholarships made a great difference.
“Primary criteria for high school students to apply to the Fairway program is financial challenge, alongside many other reasons. As a program sitting within Student Equity, Fairway helps Year 12 students reach their full potential and get to where they want to go at university.
Financial pressures can continue to make their studies difficult to focus upon when they get to UWA. This generous scholarship will help our equity students thrive so that they in turn can share their talents with the community when they are qualified.”
Find scholarship opportunities: https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships
To discuss establishing a scholarship at UWA, please contact [email protected]
Donate to the Fairway equity support program: https://campaign.uwa.edu.au/support-fairway