Dinesh Palipana

Dr. Dinesh Palipana
Born	1984 (age 33–34) Kandy, Sri Lanka
Residence	Gold Coast, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	Griffith University Queensland University of Technology
Occupation	Doctor

Dinesh Palipana (born 1984) is an Australian doctor, legal professional and disability advocate. He is the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia.^[1][2][3][4] He is the second person with quadriplegia to graduate as a doctor in Australia and the first with spinal cord injury.^[5]

Palipana has been an advocate for medical students with disabilities in Australia, where significant barriers exist.^[6][7]

Career

Dinesh Palipana obtained a degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology.^[8] He then commenced a Doctor of Medicine at the Griffith University, graduating in 2016 as the first quadriplegic medical graduate in the state of Queensland, the second in Australia. He graduated with several awards^[9] and was featured in the Griffith University video Dinesh Palipana is remarkable.^[10] He completed a medical clerkship at Harvard Medical School.^[11] Palipana holds the title of associate lecturer at Griffith University.^[12]

Following a spinal cord injury, Palipana found adapted ways to be trained as a quadriplegic doctor in partnership with Griffith University and the Gold Coast University Hospital.^[13] This was a previously unaccomplished feat in Queensland. He has consequently openly advocated for training medical students with disabilities in Australia.^[14]

Despite spending two years in clinical training as a medical student at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana faced challenges in securing initial employment in his home state of Queensland under Queensland Health.^[15][16] At one point, he was the only Queensland medical graduate without an employment offer for the year 2016 despite testaments to his ability.^[17]

He was eventually employed by the Gold Coast University Hospital to become Queensland's first quadriplegic intern.^[18] He has worked in the emergency department^[19] at the hospital, the second busiest department in Australia in 2017.^[20][21] He was nominated for an Intern of the Year award at the Gold Coast University Hospital in 2017.^[22]

With an interest in radiology,^[23] he is a contributor on Radiopaedia, a radiology education portal designed for medical professionals.^[24]

Injury

During medical school, Palipana was involved in a car accident causing a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.^[25][26] He was 25 years old at the time.^[27] The 2010 motor vehicle accident occurred on Brisbane's Gateway Motorway.^[28] A physician attending the accident scene with emergency services had taught Palipana during medical school.^[29] During his recuperation, Palipana experienced complications that included sepsis and pleural effusion.^[30]

Palipana subsequently spent seven months at a spinal injuries unit in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.^[31][32] He met the boxer Joe Frazier during his admission in hospital.^[33]

Advocacy

While recuperating from his injury, Palipana spent some time in Sri Lanka.^[34] During that time, he was noted for raising awareness^[35] and funding^[36] for spinal cord injury in the country. In 2013, he gifted a stock of medical supplies for spinal cord injury to the now President Maithripala Sirisena.^[37] Palipana sits on the council of the Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network.^[38]

In 2015, the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand issued a set of guidelines providing Australian medical schools the power to exclude students with a range of disabilities.^[39] The guidelines can potentially be used exclude medical students with similar conditions to Palipana. By using his story as an example, Palipana has been a vocal advocate for taking an inclusive approach to medical education in the country instead.^[40][41][42] Palipana has been using his story to demonstrate ways in which doctors^[43], and the wider population^[44][45][46], can work effectively with disabilities. In 2018, he was a keynote speaker at Stanford Medicine X at Stanford University on the topic.^[47][48]

He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, an advocacy group for physicians with disabilities.^[49][50] Palipana is a member of the Ambassador Council at the Hopkins Centre, a centre for research in rehabilitation and resilience.^[51][52] He was a member of the Australian Medical Association Queensland’s Council of Doctors in Training in 2017.^[53]

Research

Palipana has interests in spinal cord injury research.^{[54][55][56][57][58]}He attributes this passion to his own injury. Palipana is a member of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation’s scientific committee.^[59]

Palipana's interest includes non-invasive interventions to promote functional improvement in spinal cord injury.^[60][61] He has been encouraged by a mentor at Harvard University, where he was one of the first visiting medical students of this nature.^[62]

Palipana also has research interests in radiology.^[63]

Personal life

Palipana was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka to Chithrani and Sanath Palipana. He grew up in Byron Bay and Brisbane, Australia.^[64] Palipana attributes much of his success to the support of his mother.^[65][66][67]

Palipana's story was featured on the popular ABC radio show Conversations with Richard Fidler^[68], the ABC television show Australian Story^[69], and Today^[70]. He has spoken at various events alongside speakers such as Deng Thiak Adut^[71], regarding his experiences.^[72][73][74]

Awards

References