Amy Paterson

Biography

Amy grew up in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands before attending the University of Cape Town (UCT). She graduated with first class honours and the Class Medal for the Best Overall Performance in Medicine. Amy dedicated herself to UCT's community health-focused SHAWCO clinics throughout her student years and led the Friends of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) society for two years. In 2017 she climbed Kilimanjaro in a student initiative to raise funds for dialysis machines. Amy returned to KwaZulu-Natal to do her internship at Durban's Addington Hospital. Her current research looks at surgical outcomes for women in Africa. She hopes to use the Rhodes Scholarship to expand this work and advocate for improved women's and child health. In her free time, Amy can be found exploring the outdoors and worlds of literature, art and music.