UNSW medicine graduate awarded NSW Rhodes Scholarship

Dr Ragavi Jeyakumar is passionate about health equity and will work towards making Australia’s health system fairer and more accessible.

UNSW Medicine & Health alumna Dr Ragavi Jeyakumar has been announced as the NSW Rhodes Scholar for 2025. She is the fourth UNSW Medicine & Health alum to receive a Rhodes Scholarship in five years.

Dr Jeyakumar completed her Bachelor of Medical Studies, Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons) Class I and Doctor of Medicine studies at UNSW in 2023 and is working as a junior doctor at Liverpool Hospital. 

She said it feels “very surreal” to be this year’s NSW Rhodes Scholar. “I’m determined to make the most of my time in Oxford. I feel a strong responsibility to learn and grow as much as I can so I can return and serve my communities as I hope to.”

Professor Vlado Perkovic, Provost and acting Vice-Chancellor and President at UNSW Sydney, congratulated Dr Jeyakumar on her achievement.

“I’m thrilled to see such an outstanding former medical student like Ragavi receive a coveted Rhodes Scholarship. It is well-deserved recognition of her outstanding academic accomplishments, and I wish her the very best for her studies at Oxford,” Prof. Perkovic said.

Striving for a more equitable health system

Dr Jeyakumar will pursue a doctorate in Women’s and Reproductive Health at Oxford University.

Driven by a deep commitment to health equity, she aims to explore innovative solutions to make Australia's healthcare system more accessible and fairer for all. Her passion stems from witnessing the disparities firsthand while growing up in rural New South Wales.

“I’ve seen community members inflicted with easily preventable conditions and watched my friends struggle to access mental and reproductive health services,” Dr Jeyakumar said.

“I wish to explore ways to help make our health system more equitable, accessible, and culturally safe so that it meets the needs of all Australians, including our First Nations peoples, women, rural, or culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

“I’m eager to learn from the diverse perspectives of Oxford and Rhodes communities who are passionate about inspiring positive change in the world. And I’m determined to make the most of the opportunity by learning and growing as much as I can so I can return and advance women’s health in rural Australia.”

A former Rhodes Scholar, Professor Merlin Crossley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Quality at UNSW said: “The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious international scholarship programs, enabling young people to study at Oxford University.

“Ragavi is a brilliant student. I look forward to seeing her continuing to excel academically, and then applying her learnings to advancing health care in rural communities.”

UNSW Dean of Medicine & Health Professor Cheryl Jones said: “Each year, the selection committee faces the difficult task of choosing just one student from New South Wales from a pool of outstanding candidates. We’re thrilled that another student from the faculty of Medicine & Health – the third in four years – has been recognised. It’s such an honour for Ragavi and we’re very proud of her.”

An opportunity to gain new perspectives

Dr Jeyakumar arrived from Sri Lanka when she was six. She grew up in the NSW towns of Wee Waa and Guyra and completed her schooling in Armidale.

She expects the Rhodes scholarship will provide an opportunity for personal and academic growth.

“It will give me the opportunity to live and work with young people from all around the world who will have lived experiences far removed from my own.

“I am so excited to challenge my own worldviews and learn from the diverse perspectives of the Oxford and Rhodes communities of individuals who are passionate and committed to inspiring positive change in the world. I hope that these experiences will make me more fit serve my communities as I hope to.”

Outside of medicine, Dr Jeyakumar has many interests including playing the flute and piano, and writing. She has also spent time volunteering with Lifeline Australia and with community organisations supporting vulnerable populations in Armidale and Coffs Harbour.