By Rachael McDiarmid, RM Marketing Services
Dr Sarah Arachchi is a paediatrician who emigrated from Sri Lanka to Australia in 1990 as a four-year-old child.
In Brown. Female. Doctor. A Memoir. Sarah reflects on her path to becoming a paediatrician, highlighting the challenges she faced from a young age and the intersectionality of her identity.

Her journey to Australia marked a new chapter, filled with both promise and hardship. Sarah’s family left Sri Lanka for a new life, driven by a desire for political stability and greater educational opportunity. However, once in Australia, Sarah’s experiences with racism and exclusion became painfully apparent. “Being a brown kid at school in my neighbourhood in the ’90s was like turning up in a Halloween costume on the wrong day,” she writes. The taunts and exclusion she experienced as a child were stark reminders of her difference.
Despite these early struggles, Sarah’s determination never wavered. She navigated the complexities of being a minority, and later, as a medical professional, found herself again fighting against stereotypes. Her Sri Lankan culture, passed down through generations, was a blessing—but as she integrated into Australian life, the collision and merging of two cultures became an important part of forming her own identity. Sarah currently identifies as an Australian with a Sri Lankan background—both parts of the “third culture kid” that she has become.
In the hospital, she faced challenges that many of her colleagues did not, such as being mistaken for a nurse or a medical student. “Sometimes patients just don’t believe us. But they believe Harry. He looks like people think a doctor should,” Sarah recalls a colleague saying. Despite these challenges, Sarah’s commitment to her work and her patients remained steadfast.
Sarah’s story is not just one of personal struggle, but also of strength and triumph. She recalls, “When I walked across the stage to get my paediatric letters, with a drip in my arm, a pregnant belly, a toddler on my hip, and heels that could shatter a glass ceiling, victory was bittersweet.” Her journey serves as a powerful reminder of the barriers that still exist for women and people of colour, particularly in the medical profession.
In Brown. Female. Doctor., Sarah uses her voice to call for change—not only in medicine but in society at large. Her memoir is a testament to the resilience of those who push through adversity, carving their own paths despite the odds. She calls for greater acceptance of diversity and more inclusive representation. “Perhaps by reading my story, you can see a little through my lens, as a brown, female doctor,” she writes, inviting readers to reflect on their own biases and assumptions.
Sarah’s account highlights the challenges faced by many people of colour as they navigate systemic and societal barriers in their pursuit of equality and recognition. Her story is one of resilience and determination in overcoming these obstacles.
Brown. Female. Doctor. by Sarah Arachchi is published on 15 May 2025. Read more at: https://publishing.monash.edu/product/brown-female-doctor/