How do you connect with your patients?
Sometimes my diversity is the very thing enables me to connect and build trust with patients and families of multicultural backgrounds. People from Southeast Asian or Asian backgrounds, for example, often feel more comfortable sharing with me than they might with a doctor from a different cultural background. Diversity isn’t just a strength, it’s a real advantage in building trust and providing more empathetic, effective care.
What advice do you have for interns?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions are important for learning and growing as medicine is a field that is ever evolving and changing. Build your community; it is the coffees with your colleagues, the chats in the car on the way home with your friends, the dinners, that will help you to foster a sense of belonging. Commit yourself to life outside of medicine; have a hobby, go to the gym, watch movies, travel, cook, spend time with your family. Most importantly, know, that you are valued and worthy – your opinion, your safety and your mental health all matter.
What is your book Brown, Female, Doctor about?
It’s a memoir about my life growing up in Australia and my journey of becoming a doctor and, eventually, a specialist. It’s also about intersectionality of my experience as a woman in medicine. Female doctors face challenges that their male colleagues often don't, and women of colour encounter even more hurdles. Every doctor, regardless of gender, race, or background, deserves to be treated with fairness and respect.
What’s your perspective on diversity in leadership?
Diversity in leadership is so essential. It’s not just about fairness or fitting a quota, it’s about bringing in diverse perspectives and approaches that can drive more thoughtful, inclusive decision-making. When people see themselves, or those who share similar experiences, in positions of power, it creates a sense of belonging. It reinforces the idea that leadership and success aren’t reserved for a select few – they’re for everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, or background.
Dr Sarah Arachchi is a paediatrician who works at the Victorian Children's Clinic and Clynden Avenue Specialist Centre. Sarah co-convenes the RACP educational sessions for paediatricians and is a member of the AMA Women in Medicine Committee. In May 2025 her first book, a memoir titled Brown. Female. Doctor., was released by Monash University Publishing. In September 2025, she was an editor of The Art of Paediatric Medicine Beyond the Evidence Base: Clinical Pearls from Experienced Clinicians, released by Springer. She also appears on the Health Segment for ABC TV News Breakfast.