Nursing consultant Pauline McCaul, general practitioner Emma Greenwood and palliative care nurse Melissa King have all received funds to continue tertiary study.

The $8000 cash pool will be divided among the three health professionals as part of an initiative devised by the campaign.

It is expected the scholarships will become an annual fixture for Peter’s Project, which is pushing for the federal and state governments to bankroll a radiotherapy centre based in Warrnambool.

Ms King has worked in palliative care at Warrnambool Base Hospital for several years while completing two diplomas.

She said it was a balancing act to juggle her correspondence studies at Flinders University (palliative care diploma) and LaTrobe University (breast cancer diploma).

Dr Greenwood has worked as a GP in Warrnambool for the past three years and has been job sharing with South West Healthcare’s palliative care director Eric Fairbanks.

She said the scholarship would cover the remaining costs of her graduate diploma in palliative care, with 18 months of study left to go.

Mrs McCaul said she enjoyed the challenge of working in palliative care and her scholarship would go towards her studies through Sydney University.

Peter’s Project founder Vicki Jellie said the scholarships highlighted the active steps the group was taking to ensure cancer care in the region was improved.

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