Monash Memo - articles - 14 November 2001

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Medical student named Rhodes Scholar

Monash fifth-year medical student Mr Nathan Grills has been announced as Victoria's 2001 Rhodes Scholar.

Twenty-five-year-old Mr Grills, who grew up on a farm in Ascot near Ballarat, has managed to combine academic achievement and community work, developing an impressive resume which led to the award.

No stranger to excellence, Mr Grills (pictured) achieved a VCE tertiary entrance rank of 99, a Premier's Award for Biology, and a place in Monash's medical school.

While at Monash, he has been awarded two vice-chancellor's medical travel grants, was invited to join the Monash University Chapter of the Golden Key Society, and was naval dux in the Australian Defence Force.

Despite the demanding nature of the medical course, Mr Grills said he had chosen to concentrate on contributing to the community.

"My years at Monash have allowed the qualities that I first developed in Ascot, such as helping others and the pursuit of an active life, to grow and mature," he said.

Mr Grills has spent time serving with medical assistance programs in third world countries, including six months in Nepal.

These experiences, he said, encouraged him to apply for the Rhodes Scholar award, which will take him to Oxford in 2003.

"Oxford is not the only university offering courses in international development, but it is the best," Mr Grills said.

"I firmly believe that the opportunity to complete this course will make the difference between a future spent improving the health of individuals and a future spent contributing to the development and health of entire communities and even countries."