Worimi man Professor Kelvin Kong receives Order of Australia Myall Coast Port Stephens by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 13, 2024 Professor Kelvin Kong AM has been made a Member of the Order of Australia. Photo: Hunter ENT. ORDER of Australia honours were bestowed upon Professor Kelvin Kong on 26 January, recognising his ‘significant service to medicine as an Otolaryngologist, and to Indigenous health’. A proud Worimi man, Professor Kong grew up in Shoal Bay and Port Stephens, where family and community helped him become the doctor he is today. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “It is a bittersweet honour, a poor reflection on how difficult it is to become a surgeon, especially for Indigenous doctors,” said Dr Kong, Australia’s first identified Indigenous surgeon. “We have over 400 Indigenous medical doctors in Australia, but barriers and a paucity of opportunities prevent many from becoming specialists. “Most Indigenous doctors are happy to finish medical school, and for every dozen specialist training positions, there are 200-300 applications. “When you apply for those positions, a lot of inside knowledge is needed… a PhD is necessary, but that takes time, research papers take time, too, and by the time you pull it all together, you are behind.” As a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS), Professor Kong said RACS is attempting to address the structural and cultural barriers that prevent vulnerable parts of the population from scoring well or applying. On his own experiences traversing the gauntlet of medical training to become a specialist ENT, Professor Kong was candid and realistic. “I was extremely lucky, my mother and my whole Worimi family supported me, those times were quite hard financially, I still look back at the fortune that I had, and the people around me who wanted to see me succeed, assisting with publishing papers, finding research opportunities. “If those mentors around me hadn’t held that belief, I wouldn’t be here, and this Order of Australia award is a culmination of the whole community. “Anything that comes my way as Worimi is a testament to my community, all the support and belief and sacrifices made for me.” Professor Kong is currently Professor at the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, as well as Honorary Professor at Macquarie University, and Associate Professor at UNSW, while also an Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon at Broadmeadow’s Hunter ENT, since 2008, and Visiting Medical Officer Surgeon at various public and private hospitals within the Hunter New England Local Health District. By Thomas O’KEEFE
