College of Medicine and Dentistry The road to achievement
The road to achievement
- Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science
- Courses
- Future Students
- Current Students
- Research and Teaching
- Partners and Community
- About JCU
- Reputation and Experience
- Celebrating 50 Years
- Academy
- Anthropological Laboratory for Tropical Audiovisual Research (ALTAR)
- Anton Breinl Research Centre
- Agriculture Technology and Adoption Centre (AgTAC)
- Living on Campus
- How to apply
- Advanced Analytical Centre
- Alumni
- AMHHEC
- JCU Aquaculture Solutions
- AusAsian Mental Health Research Group
- ARCSTA
- Area 61
- Association of Australian University Secretaries
- Australian Lions Stinger Research
- Australian Tropical Herbarium
- Australian Quantum & Classical Transport Physics Group
- Boating and Diving
- JCU-CSIRO Partnership
- Employability Edge
- Career Ready Plan
- Careers at JCU
- Careers and Employability
- Chancellery
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
- CITBA
- CMT
- CASE
- College of Business, Law and Governance
- College of Healthcare Sciences
-
College of Medicine and Dentistry
-
Research
-
Project Portal
- CMD research project asset list
- Chronic Pelvic Pain Faecal Microbiome Study
- Service delivery strategies for rural/ remote allied health
- TREAD: Translational Research in Endocrinology and Diabetes 'Multiple projects'
- Australia's burden from peripheral artery disease
- Glucose control and outcome of peripheral revascularisation
- Outcome for abdominal aortic aneurysm admissions across Australia
- Diet and vascular disease
- Genetics of abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Biomarkers of aortic aneurysm and peripheral artery disease outcome
- Testing novel treatments for peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Clinical trials of novel treatments for peripheral artery disease, diabetes-related foot disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Multiple projects in Microbiology and infectious Diseases
- Piloting a continuous quality improvement framework to strengthen quality of care in Aboriginal residential aged care.
- Strengthening primary health care to promote healthy ageing and reduce risk factors associated with dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Multiple research opportunities in Psychiatry
- The role of partner dancing on biopsychosocial status of older adults and their significant others
- Post a Research Project
-
Project Portal
- News & Stories
- Get Involved
- Short Courses & Professional Development
- Clinical Electives (non-JCU students)
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
- Making Rural Health Matter
- General Practice and Rural Medicine
- Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs
- Contact us
- Learning and Teaching
-
Research
- College of Science and Engineering
- CPHMVS
- Centre for Disaster Solutions
- CSTFA
- Cyber Security Hub
- Cyclone Testing Station
- The Centre for Disaster Studies
- Daintree Rainforest Observatory
- Discover Nature at JCU
- Research Division
- Services and Resources Division
- Education Division
- Elite Athletes
- eResearch
- Environmental Research Complex [ERC]
- Estate
- Fletcherview
- Foundation for Australian Literary Studies
- Gender Equity Action and Research
- General Practice and Rural Medicine
- JC 'U' Orientation
- Give to JCU
- Governance
- Information for JCU Cairns Graduates
- Art of Academic Writing
- Art of Academic Editing
- Graduate Research School
- Graduation
- Indigenous Education and Research Centre
- Indigenous Engagement
- Indigenous Legal Needs Project
- Inherent Requirements
- IsoTropics Geochemistry Lab
- IT Services
- International Schools
- International Students
- Research and Innovation Services
- JCU Eduquarium
- JCU Events
- JCU Global Experience
- JCU Ideas Lab
- JCU Job Ready
- JCU Motorsports
- JCU Prizes
- JCU Sport
- JCU Turtle Health Research
- Language and Culture Research Centre
- CEE
- LearnJCU
- Library
- Mabo Decision: 30 years on
- MARF
- Marine Geophysics Laboratory
- New students
- Off-Campus Students
- Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
- Virtual Open Day
- Orpheus
- Outstanding Alumni
- Parents and Partners
- Pathways to university
- Planning for your future
- Placements
- Policy
- PAHL
- Publications
- Professional Experience Placement
- Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Rapid Assessment Unit
- RDIM
- Researcher Development Portal
- Safety and Wellbeing
- Scholarships
- Contextual Science for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
- Staff
- State of the Tropics
- Strategic Procurement
- Student Equity and Wellbeing
- Student profiles
- SWIRLnet
- TARL
- TESS
- TREAD
- TropEco for Staff and Students
- TQ Maths Hub
- TUDLab
- Unicare Centre and Unicampus Kids
- UAV
- VAVS Home
- Work Health and Safety
- WHOCC for Vector-borne & NTDs
- Media
- Copyright and Terms of Use
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
- Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab

James Cook University (JCU) dentistry graduate, Dr Niels Kirsten, is an unassuming trail-blazer with an “A” for tenacity.
In 2010, he became the first Aboriginal student to complete a JCU Bachelor of Nursing Science, via the University’s Indigenous Health Careers Access Pathway (IHCAP). But that was just the start.
He immediately embarked on a dentistry degree at JCU, graduating in 2015. This year, he took a further step, becoming the first Aboriginal dentistry graduate to complete a JCU postgraduate course (Diploma of Implantology).
Now working in a private dental practice in Charters Towers, Dr Kirsten is looking forward to packing away his text books, after more than a decade of solid study. However, he remains grateful to IHCAP for opening the door to academic achievement.
The program is designed to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success in pursuing a health career, providing ongoing support to cope with the demands of university study.
“I didn’t get the grades at school to enter university,” Dr Kirsten said frankly. “The access program set me on the pathway to achieve. I still struggled academically for the first couple of years, but I received support and over time I kept pushing forward, developing my skills.
“By the time I hit dentistry, I was well equipped. I realised I could do it. And (senior lecturer) Felicity Croker was very helpful. She really looked out for me and the other Indigenous students, as well.”
His father, a dentist, and his brother, a doctor, also inspired him.
“My Dad is retired now, but I used to go and observe him a lot when he was practicing as a dentist,” Mr Kirsten recalled. “I really liked oral surgery, so that also drove me towards dentistry.
“Now my Dad is very proud that I’ve gone on to do my postgrad studies. He’s really happy that I'm following my interest in oral surgery. I have a two-year-old son, so he may be the next generation to enter dentistry. I’m already working on it,” he quipped.
The one-year Diploma of Implantology course has equipped the young dentist to provide new surgical options to patients who wish to replace lost teeth.
“One of the options is a titanium screw. It’s a bit like a titanium hip or knee replacement. They use the same sort of material, but for teeth,” he said enthusiastically.
“The titanium implant goes into the jaw and integrates with the bone. Then we can screw in an artificial tooth that usually mimics the functions and aesthetics of natural teeth. I plan to use it as an everyday skill in the dental practice.”
After gaining his degree in dentistry, Dr Kirsten initially worked in the public health system in Townsville and on Palm Island, but was quick to seize the opportunity to join a small private practice in Charters Towers, in December 2016.
The majority of his patients are farming families from rural and remote areas, as well as miners. He relishes the opportunity to nurture a rapport with multiple generations of family members.
“You get to know them on a personal level,” he said. “You don't just see one person. You see grandparents, mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren. It really makes you feel like a good family dentist.”
Dentistry has become a rewarding career on so many levels.
“When patients come in in pain and you can relieve them of pain,” Dr Kirsten observed. “When you start doing cosmetic work on patients who have self-esteem issues with smiling, it can really change their lives.
“Alongside that, there is the reward of working with a really good team, in a really happy work environment. That all makes it worthwhile.”