Applications for the Rhodes Scholarship 2026 are open! Click here to learn more.

Applications for the Rhodes Scholarship 2026 are open! Click here to learn more.

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Thomas Swinburn

Election Year: 2025

Election Constituency: New Zealand

Scholar Status: Scholar in Residence

Rhodes Identifier: New Zealand & Balliol 2025

Thomas Swinburn

Biography

Thomas is a medical doctor hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. He graduated with an MBChB and a Bachelor of Medical Science with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland in 2024 and briefly worked as a junior doctor before moving to Oxford. His interest in population health developed at the outset of his training and was reinforced during his clinical attachments as he repeatedly confronted the human face of health inequities. Alongside his undergraduate studies, Thomas engaged in student leadership, serving as President of the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association, and he found his voice as a writer, winning the International Balint Federation Ascona Prize for his essay on the humanity of medicine. At Oxford, he is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care, examining the topic of social prescribing.