Applications open for the Australian Medical Association's 2025 Indigenous Medical Scholarship this Friday, which could change the lives of an aspiring First Nations doctor.

For the past 30 years, the scholarship has helped grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical workforce by supporting First Nations peoples who are enrolled in a medical degree at an Australian university.

AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the scholarship represented the AMA's longstanding commitment to fostering the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors, with the aim of improving access to culturally appropriate care for communities across Australia.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain underrepresented in the medical profession, and this scholarship, which has been running for the past 30 years, is an important step in building a more inclusive and culturally safe health workforce," Dr McMullen said.

"Over the years, the scholarship has supported many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have gone on to achieve incredible things in medicine and serve their communities with distinction."

Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association President Dr Simone Raye said the Association is "thrilled" to see applications open for the 2025 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship "which will aid an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical student to realise their dream in becoming a doctor".

"AIDA is proud to have a memorandum of understanding with the AMA to work together to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous doctors in Australia, and help to create a more inclusive and culturally competent healthcare system for all," Dr Raye said.

The scholarship is provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students who demonstrate a commitment to their community and to medicine. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a medical degree at an Australian university and have completed at least their first year of medicine.

The value of the scholarship is $11,000 per annum, for each year of study for the remainder of the student's medical degree.

Thirty-eight applications were received for the 2024 AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship — the highest number of applicants in its 30-year history.

2023 scholarship winner T'kido Titasey, a Naghir man with blood ties to Kulkalgal and Maluilgal Nations of the Torres Strait Islands, told National Indigenous Times the scholarship's impact has been "enormous".

"Getting the scholarship has really help me, it helped in ways I couldn't imagine," he said.

"Throughout my medical degree I have been working every Saturday and Sunday to make ends meet… I was always stressed.

"Since getting the scholarship I have been able to step back from working and able to take a bit of the load off. Now I wait until holidays (from university) to work."

He said the scholarship has "110 per cent" helped him focus more on his degree as he ca now study on weekends.

"We were on placement Monday to Friday, working 10-hour shifts each day. By the time you get home you are quite exhausted. It can be overwhelming," he said.

Then working 8-12 hours a day on the weekends, and tutoring students on the side, Mr Titasey found it hard to devote time to study.

"It has really taken a load off" he said.

Mr Titasey said he was three and weeks away from finishing his medical degree, including exams.

"I never thought I would get this far. I kept renewing my nursing registration in case I didn't get there – I surprised myself!"