Alumni Spotlight: Michael Heelan (Class of 2016)
For Michael “Mick” Heelan, service has never been an abstract idea, it has always been something lived.
Now 27 and based in Darwin, Mick is in his final year of medicine, having first trained and worked as a physiotherapist. His journey since graduating from Newman College in 2016 has taken him across Australia and beyond, from Kalgoorlie to East Timor, from the Camino in Spain to the wards of Royal Darwin Hospital.
At the heart of it all is a deep vocational pull.
“I felt drawn toward a vocation that would allow me to live in service of others, especially those on the margins who experience injustice and inequity,” he explains.
Mick describes his time at Newman College as formative in shaping not only his academic path, but his worldview.
“The culture at Newman was really special. What stood out most was the school’s genuine commitment to pastoral care for both staff and students, with a clear sense that people came first over image. Education was about forming the whole person, not just achieving academic results, and the environment encouraged holistic growth without the pressure of a hyper-fixation on performance.”
He remembers the Remar Program as a highlight, particularly the national camps that strengthened his sense of Marist identity.
It was also the staff’s authenticity that defined his experience.
“It was obvious that the staff genuinely loved working there, and that warmth and authenticity shaped the entire community. Newman felt like a place where you were known, valued, and supported to become your best self, and that left a lasting impression on me.”
Now undertaking full-time clinical placements in Darwin, Mick’s weeks are immersive and hands-on. Each term rotates through a new specialty, anaesthetics, renal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, with a remote placement in Nhulunbuy on the horizon. Later this year, he will complete an elective placement in policy with the Australian Medical Association in Canberra.
Living in the Northern Territory has profoundly shaped him.
“Darwin is small enough that relationships matter, and remote enough that you see clearly where systems fail people. Inequity becomes personal rather than theoretical.”
He feels particularly called to work with communities who face systemic health inequities, including Aboriginal people (particularly men), refugees, people in prison, members of the LGBT+ community and those experiencing addiction.
“Medicine offers a privilege to care, listen and bear witness, but it also places doctors in a position to advocate for those whose voices are often unheard.”
The Marist spirituality continues to influence Mick’s approach to both faith and healthcare.
“The Marist way values humility and accompaniment. People are not problems to be solved but stories to be understood.”
When the Marist Association described him as someone who responds with the Marian “yes”, the phrase resonated deeply.
“Mary’s assent is a model of self-emptying and creative love. Throughout our lives, we have gentle callings within our hearts. I try to listen to that voice and follow where it leads.”
That “yes” has taken him walking the Camino across Spain, volunteering in East Timor for six months, moving interstate for work and study, and continually stepping toward communities where he believes he can make a meaningful difference.
For students considering medicine, or unsure about their future, Mick offers wisdom beyond career advice.
“If you’re considering medicine, make sure you’re drawn to people, not just achievement or money. It’s a long road, and meaning sustains you far longer than prestige.”
And for those who don’t yet have clarity.
“At 18, you’re not meant to have your whole life mapped out. Focus on becoming generous, resilient and curious. Careers evolve, but becoming who we are is our greatest treasure.”
