Out and About: Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM

We have our fair share of truly inspiring humans at ICMI, but the extent of what Dr Dinesh Palipana has achieved in the face of insurmountable odds is genuinely jaw-dropping. Not only is Dinesh an emergency doctor, not only is he also a lawyer, but he has achieved all this despite being involved in a motor vehicle accident halfway through medical school that left him quadriplegic.

Dinesh somehow turned this harrowing experience on its head to become the second person to graduate medical school with quadriplegia in Australia (and first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland). He’s now also a passionate advocate for inclusion, a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities, a university lecturer, and a senior advisor to the Disability Royal Commission and, on top of everything else, a research fellow focusing on spinal cord injuries.

His achievements appear almost limitless, and they’ve been recognised across the globe for this very reason. From the latest in scientific research and innovation to his insights into wellness, resilience and thriving under extreme hardship, Dinesh has an endless wealth of knowledge to share that will genuinely change your outlook on what humans are truly capable of.

It is mind-blowing what this 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year has achieved, and Dinesh is certainly one of the most inspiring people we have ever encountered. He is an incredible diversity and inclusion speaker with a deeply moving lesson about the power of perseverance and persistence, as living proof that humans can achieve anything they set their minds to. It’s an absolute honour to have this superhuman join the ICMI team as an exclusive speaker, and we are absolutely thrilled to share his seemingly boundless wisdom and positivity with you.

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