From Maggies Graduate to General Practitioner: Dr Louisa Sondergeld (’13)

The first time Louisa ever said she wanted to be a doctor was when she was four years old, a choice grounded upon her very noble wish to “fix people’s sore tummies”.

From her time as a Maggies girl – during which she was School Captain, Prefect, a Dragonette, and involved in Toc H, Swimming, Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Rowing, Student Representative Council, and many more areas of school life – to now, a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and working as a General Practitioner, Louisa certainly does more than just fix sore tummies.

In August, St Margaret’s welcomed Louisa back to campus to speak at the final Aspiring Young Women’s Network (AYWN) Breakfast for 2026, where she shared her story with current students. It was a candid and moving reflection that left the students both inspired and motivated.

For Louisa, returning to campus for such an event was very special, particularly being able to reconnect with staff and visit her two mentees, who she has mentored in the St Margaret’s Plus Mentoring Program, one final time before their graduation.

“It was really lovely to have been invited. It was great to see my mentees in person and to catch up with staff – Mr King, Ms Alford, Ms Curtis and Mrs Devlin. Afterwards we did a tour of the school, it looked so beautiful.”

While some aspiring medical professionals are apprehensive over their career decision, Louisa’s anticipation for this career from the young age of four was largely inspired by her father, whose work as a rural doctor shaped Louisa’s own desire to help others. For Louisa, this career path was natural; she loved science and learning about the human body, and she loved the idea of helping others.  

“My four-year-old dream felt like a calling and a vocation; I never looked back.”

“I couldn’t choose a single part of the body – being a GP allows me to engage with it all. There’s a misconception that being a GP is dealing with coughs, referrals and medical certificates. I see about 30 patients a day, and it would be rare to even see the same thing twice. People ask if I want to sub-specialise in one area. I want to be the GP who can do it all. I enjoy learning the new research across all domains of medicine and I always want to be able to help my patients.”

“I always knew I wanted to be a GP, because I love the connection you have with your patients. My patients are the parents, their kids, siblings, their grandparents, their neighbours. I love hearing about their lives, asking about their recent holiday, supporting them through trials and challenges.”

For Louisa, it is this deep connection to her patients, and the value and trust they place in her, that makes her work so rewarding. “It is a true honour to care for my patients, I am so grateful every day”.

As Louisa shared with the students, the journey was certainly not an easy one. The long hours, difficult cases, working part-time to pay rent alongside full-time study, and the confronting aspects of the work at times made it a challenge – but she loved every second of it.

“You get to meet wonderful people and see wonderful examples of human nature. It’s a privilege to be there when people feel vulnerable and scared, and to be the person who can assist, support and comfort them.”

Her life now looks much more balanced than it did during her years studying, with a deep love for the work she does and a great sense of pride for all she has learnt and all her hard work. Outside of her day-to-day practice and seeing patients, Louisa continues to lecture, mentor and teach.

“I give a few lectures at the University of Notre Dame each year. I enjoy teaching. My lecture on preparing for internship is very practical, as well as my lecture on mental health in medicine. I discuss some of those difficult moments in medicine - the death of a patient, or how you recover from giving a terminal diagnosis. It’s very rewarding to provide these lectures in areas that I’m very passionate about.”

“I also mentor St Margaret’s students, teaching them about medicine, guiding them and answering all their questions. I’ve previously conducted research with the St Vincent’s Hospital Cardiac Transplant Team in Sydney. I was a mentor and lecturer at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.”

For Louisa, however, one key message to the students in the room – and to anyone who may be reading this at the start of their own professional journey – is that your life cannot just be your career. It’s important to have hobbies, passions and to contribute to your community. This is where Louisa’s gratitude to St Margaret’s, and the focus on a holistic education, is most paramount.

“When applying to Notre Dame, there was a large focus on your resume, looking at leadership, community service and extra-curricular activities. I was so thankful to have gone to a school like St Margaret’s where extra-curriculars are encouraged across the school, and community service is a big focus. St Margaret’s really values the student as a whole, and preparing girls who are well-rounded and community minded.”

Louisa’s journey from School Captain of St Margaret’s to where she is today is truly a story of grit, determination and passion. Her words of wisdom and encouragement at the AYWN Breakfast were most certainly valued by the students in attendance, and I can confidently say that four-year-old Louisa would be very proud of where she is today – fixing sore tummies, but also so much more.

By Lizzie Fowler (’19)

Relationships & Mentoring Manager