HONOURS STUDENT PROFILE

Stephanie McKelvie

Dr McKelvie graduated at the end of 2020, and is working at Alice Springs Base Hospital as an intern.

Stephanie McKelvie concentrated her honours project on researching the prevalence, patterns and determinants of intimate partner violence experienced by women during pregnancy in Vanuatu, and the associations with perinatal mental health.

Originally from the small West Gippsland town of Yarragon, Australia, Ms McKelvie moved to Melbourne four years ago when she began medical school. Since then she has become increasingly aware of the discrepancies in access to quality health care for women, and people living in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the negative impacts of climate change on health.

“I’m passionate about global health and women’s health,” says Ms McKelvie in explaining why she was drawn to the Global and Women's Health unit at Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

“Women are generally underrepresented in research and, as a group, face preventable, socially constructed barriers towards achieving optimal health,” Ms McKelvie says.

Ms McKelvie feels that the research undertaken at the Global and Women’s Health unit aims to achieve health equity, and this was the main reason she chose to do her honours in the unit.

Ms McKelvie sees global health as pivotal in promoting sustainable development while protecting health and human rights.

“With increasing migration, both forced and voluntary, populations are changing and global health research is becoming increasingly relevant for policy at a local, national and international level,” she says.

“As we move towards the end of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal agenda, global health research will need to focus on leaving no one behind,” says Ms McKelvie.

Meaningful collaboration across disciplines and sectors, including a diversity of people at decision-making levels will be required to meet the challenges ahead, she says.

Outside of her honours project, Ms McKelvie’s is interested in youth participation, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and sustainable development, particularly in the Pacific region. She is part of the International Federation of Medical Student Associations’ (IFMSA) working in sexual and reproductive health and rights in Asia Pacific.

Ms McKelvie says she is inspired by all the people, especially youth, who have raised their voices for health and human rights – especially those living in difficult circumstances.

“I’m also inspired by the motivation and passion of all the fellow students I have met and worked with in the IFMSA, and my colleagues here in the Global and Women’s Health unit,” Ms McKelvie says.