Meet Dr Fernandez, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Psychological Trauma Recovery Service at Austin Health and RANZCP Fellow.

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself

My journey has been shaped by both migration and medicine. I grew up in Malaysia and completed my undergraduate medical degree at University College Dublin, Ireland. I moved to Melbourne to complete psychiatry training and currently work as a psychiatrist treating individuals with trauma related mental health disorders at Austin Health. Alongside my clinical work, I coordinate the mentoring program for psychiatry trainees, which allows me to support the next generation of psychiatrists in their professional development. I’m deeply invested in supporting trainee welfare and advocating for inclusive leadership, ensuring psychiatry is a space where diversity is valued. I also have a young family so balancing work and family life is something I navigate daily.

2) What does it mean to you to be a woman in psychiatry?

Psychiatry is one of the more gender-diverse medical fields, and I am fortunate to work in a place where women are well represented in leadership positions. Having strong female role models who adopt a collaborative, empathetic leadership style makes a tangible difference in shaping an inclusive and supportive work environment. It has inspired me to be a mentor and advocate for trainees, ensuring that future psychiatrists, particularly women, feel supported in their career. 

However, we also need to challenge outdated expectations and systemic barriers that make career progression, research opportunities and leadership roles more difficult to attain. It’s an evolving landscape, and I’m hopeful that we’re moving towards greater equity and inclusivity.

3) The theme of International Women’s Day 2025 is “March Forward: From Promises to Progress.” In your view, is psychiatry making progress toward this goal?

Psychiatry has made progress in gender equity but there is still work to be done. We now see more women entering psychiatry and there’s growing awareness of the importance of flexible training pathways, mentorship and addressing unconscious bias in clinical and academic settings. In my role as a mentoring program coordinator, I see firsthand how structured support can make a real difference in helping women and underrepresented groups advance in their careers.

In clinical practice, we’re also progressing towards more trauma-informed, gender sensitive care, particularly in areas like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where understanding the impact of gender and intersectionality is crucial.

To truly ‘march forward’, we need to ensure that promises made, whether about career equity, safer workplaces or patient centred care, translate into measurable changes. Psychiatry has the potential to lead in this space, but it requires ongoing commitment, policy change and cultural shift within the profession.