To make her grandmother happy and just to see if she would get in, Dr Melanie Van Twest applied for medical school at 35 years of age. And she did !
In 2000, the now 55-yr-old pivoted from over a decade of job-hopping to a solid, financially secure career in medicine. Her current role as part of the COVID contact tracing team is an incredible leap from where she saw herself in her twenties. A whimsical decision (her words) at 35, set her up for a lifetime of financial independence. And this is what inspired me to speak to Melanie as part of my Women in Finance series.
Melanie believes strongly in financial independence for women. One of her current aspirations is to set up a platform advocating for and educating young women in financial literacy. She’s not a financial advisor, she’s a doctor working in regional and rural Australia where medical services are in high demand and also in the COVID contact-tracing team. And in the Army Reserves. She’s busy - and that’s all part of her plan. There’s no shortage of work for a doctor, which is why Melanie decided to take that path.
Melanie believes it’s never too late to make bold moves toward financial independence. Which is why, at 35, she applied for medical school. She called it a “whimsical decision” when we spoke, but I believe she knew exactly what she was doing. Prior to starting medical school, Melanie had a string of jobs that weren’t leading anywhere. In a decade she didn’t have even one full-time role, let alone a career.
And now Melanie would tell another 35-year-old woman to take a similar path. And that’s precisely what she wants to be doing next.
Melanie believes financial literacy along with health and emotional security, can protect young women from abusive relationships, and create freedom for women to make better decisions for their families in oppressive or abusive situations. Saving women from experiencing homelessness in their 50s and possibly being forced to eat cat food in their 80s. And that’s her motivation behind her next step; building a website or YouTube channel to educate young women in finance.
It’s important to Melanie to see young girls be given access to basic financial advice. To know how to write a budget, a shopping list, and to know what their entitlements are. Entitlements relating to Fairwork, job security and understanding insurance, money and super.
At 55, with a university education, medical degree and the beginnings of a nest egg, Melanie’s a great example of how good decisions and financial education in your twenties and thirties can pay off. Melanie pointed out during our conversation that women over 55 are the most likely to experience homelessness in Australia, often due to relationship breakdowns, not having financial support or fleeing from domestic violence situations without a fallback plan. Melanie knows and shares with other women that the right financial advice and support around you as you get older becomes as important as having a good doctor to manage your health.