Reflections from Voice Connections 2026

As a Scholarship recipient to Voice Connections 2026, we asked Elizabeth MacPherson to share her reflections from the event....

About You

My name is Elizabeth MacPherson, and I am a final-year Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) student at the University of Queensland. My passion for voice has been shaped by diverse clinical experiences including university placements supporting voice restoration following head and neck cancer, Queensland Health Speech Pathology Trainee roles at Mackay Hospital and Health Service and the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and at

ENT-Clinics Brisbane, observing multidisciplinary voice clinics and videostroboscopy.

Why You Applied

Attending this conference felt like a natural next step in my clinical journey, as I come as an emerging clinician with a growing passion for this area. I am particularly hoping to deepen my understanding of voice disorders, particularly in the acute setting, and to learn and connect with others who share the same passion.

Key Learnings

My key learnings included the insightful discussion of vocal rehabilitation following laryngectomy, framing it not as functional recovery alone but as a deeply gendered journey of identity reclamation. This shifted my perspective considerably. For women especially, the experience of voice loss carries an emotional and psychosocial weight that has historically been underreported, and recovery extends well beyond restoring sound to rebuilding themselves through peer networks, community, and advocacy.

The 'Hear My Voice' panel deepened this further, with panel members from diverse backgrounds and lived experience expressing that voice functions as both literal sound and a symbol of identity and power. It challenged me to listen with genuine curiosity, navigate the complexity of diverse patient identities, and recognise that systemic change in healthcare cannot rely solely on those with lived experience to drive it.

Overall, the learnings I take from this conference will directly shape how I approach clinical practice. I feel newly committed to prioritising holistic, long-term support for post-laryngectomy patients and voice disorders more broadly, looking beyond functional voice outcomes to the full picture of a person' life, identity, and connection. I hope to carry this into my recommendations by integrating peer networks, singing groups, and community-based resources as meaningful parts of rehabilitation, not afterthoughts. Perhaps the most lasting insight I carry is this: behind every voice we treat is a life and a story we may never

fully understand, and it is our willingness to listen and learn that makes all the difference.

Final Reflection

Voice Connection 2026 expanded my clinical knowledge in ways I did not anticipate, and I am deeply grateful for the scholarship opportunity. I would highly encourage fellow students to attend, as these learnings simply cannot be replicated in a textbook. I leave feeling both humbled and motivated and look forward to incorporating my learnings into everyday clinical practice.