‘Being a doctor is hard. Being a brown, female doctor is harder, for all the reasons Arachchi so evocatively describes.’ Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM, oncologist, Fulbright scholar and author
‘An autobiography to savour. If you are interested in reading the compelling life story of a migrant, medical student, paediatrician, wife, daughter, friend, mother, role model – a modern Australian – look no further. Arachchi pulls no punches. Training to be a doctor is fascinating but hard. Those called to the profession face many barriers including long hours, a high-pressure environment and difficult colleagues, but the author’s determination, and her care for others, comes through triumphantly. This book is, in one word, inspirational.’ Distinguished Laureate Professor Nicholas J. Talley AC, world-leading neurogastroenterologist, educator and researcher
‘In a world where medicine is trying to find its soul again, Sarah’s book is an important thought-provoker for the profession, while being a poignant ode to the hundreds of millions of us who have found a new home away from the country of birth.’ Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM
‘Sarah has put her life on the page: both the struggles and the triumphs. This is an act of generosity to the world.’ Dr Mariam Tokhi
‘Brown. Female. Doctor is an insightful heart-warming story of a young woman’s experience through immigration, education and medical training. Sarah weaves her lived experiences as a female and a woman of colour into a wonderful story of family and place.’ Dr Catherine Lynch
If you saw my initials, Dr SA, you might not make any assumptions.
But if you met me, Dr Sarah Arachchi, it could be a different story.
Would you see my skin colour and ask where I was from? Would you be surprised to hear my thick Australian accent? Would you wonder if I chose paediatrics because I am a woman? Because I have been asked all of those things.
Sarah is a brown female doctor who migrated from Sri Lanka as a child. Her journey to becoming a paediatrician has been challenging, right from the schoolyard. As one of the few migrant kids in her class, she was seen as different. No brown heroines in the books she read left her with few role models. As a medical student, she faced others’ judgements based on her skin colour. As a graduate doctor, she experienced a new kind of obstacle: being female in a male-driven hospital environment.
When she eventually walked across the stage to get her paediatric letters, with a drip in her arm, a pregnant belly, a toddler on her hip and heels that could shatter a glass ceiling, victory was bittersweet.
Written with energy and charm, this is a story of determination and self-discovery. Exploring themes of migration, racism and feminism, it examines the challenges of trying to blend two cultures while navigating the world of medicine. Ultimately, it is a powerful call for social change and a greater acceptance of diversity.
