A TRIP to Ghana last year has driven Ciara Peddell to help those less fortunate.

Working at a small rural hospital in the town of Asesewa, the Burnie-placed medical student watched helplessly as locals suffered due to a lack of amenities and treatment.

"We complain about our health care system here all the time," Miss Peddell said.

"You go there and young children are dying in front of you from simple illnesses.

"If it happened here it would be a matter of antibiotics and send you home."

Miss Peddell attended the University of Tasmania Foundation West North-West scholarships and bursaries cocktail event at the Makers' Workshop on Thursday night.

The fifth year Rural Clinical School medical student talked about the benefits of receiving a $2500 Rotary Club of Wynyard rural medicine scholarship.

Without it Miss Peddell would have worked part time and also would not have been able to afford her trip to Ghana.

"I can focus on my studies more and I was able to do more experiences like being able to fund myself to go to Africa last year to do the elective over there with the hospital," she said.

"If I hadn't of had that financial support I wouldn't have been able to finance myself to get there."

After her eye-opening experience Miss Peddell wants to use her medical skills to help others when she graduates at the end of the year.

"I had that feeling over there (Ghana) that I really want to come back here when I'm a doctor to make a different and do what I can to help, because it's just disgraceful what happens over there," she said.