In recognition of National Reconciliation week, we are replaying “Reflections on belonging — Tristan Marino’s journey from music to medicine.

What are your pillars of belonging? For Tristan Marino, they are his Aboriginal and Maori family, his connections to community and friends and now, medicine as well.

Tristan started out studying music at a conservatory, doing simultaneous studies in nursing as a career fallback position. He says he surprised himself to find that nursing in emergency departments was more compelling, but he found it frustrating not to be able to answer his many questions about the patients, their maladies and treatments. The only answer was to become a doctor. Tristan is now happily working at the rural clinical school in the regional NSW city of Orange, in a strong and supportive team, surrounded by the sort of inclusive community for which he has always longed.