"Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be sitting here having a conversation like this," she said.

"This has enabled me to reflect back on where I have come from; I'm this little girl Charlton and look what I've achieved in 36 years.

"I don't think I'll ever have a week like this again."

RELATED: Bendigo GP honoured as one of six worldwide Mattel #ThankYouHeroes Barbies dolls

Dr White was recognised by Mattel for her work in co-founding Gowns for Doctors which has made and distributed thousands of re-usable PPE gowns to medical professionals across Australia as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation.

For the mother-of-two, the recognition goes far beyond her work, and she hopes young girls will look to her Barbie doll and know that they can too work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, no matter their background.

"I'm really proud to be country girl," she said. "I went to a small school in Charlton and we didn't have a lot of options because of the setting so now I'm passionate about creating opportunities for kids in rural areas.

"I studied science before I went into medicine and my main reason for retraining was because I wanted to get back to a rural setting. I was really inspired by a country GP who looked like he was having a lot of fun and I thought 'if he can do it then I can too'.

"I've lived in Sydney and I've lived in Melbourne but it's not the same as the country where I feel a sense of belonging.

Dr White said the process behind transforming her into a Barbie included 10 doll designers in the United States who have designed Barbie's over 200 careers. They were sent photos of Dr White from the internet and created a Doll Design Deck which specific photos that highlight her eyes, hair and even height.

Through computer generator modelling the doll was designed and was hand painted to be brought to life.

"They've done an incredible job," Dr White said. "I was surprised when I saw it and I thought 'yep, that's me, that's definitely Dr Kirby'.

"I think a lot of girls grow up with Barbie and I definitely did. I didn't have a sister and those imaginary games with Barbie were really important to me.

"I think this a great opportunity for all Australian girls to see a large company deliver campaigns supporting women, especially when they're in minority like STEM where less than a quarter of people working in the field are women.

"Even when women graduate, there's a very small percentage who go on to continue their career. This is a fabulous platform to inspire girls into those careers."

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Dr White said she hasn't had the opportunity to reflect on the enormity of being named as the inspiration for an iconic Barbie, but she hoped the doll would continue to inspire young girls to imagine that they can grow up to be anything.

"I have two kids, Flynn who's seven and Stella whos' two," she said. "Flynn's excited there's a doll that's mummy and Stella is very interested in the gown.

"Yesterday was special, when I was sitting in my office with Stella and pulled Barbie out of the bag to show her.

"I think it was the beginning of a very fun 10 years to come with Barbie and Stella."

Barbie will donate $5 for each eligible Barbie doctor, nurse and medical doll sold in Australia throughout the campaign period, which ends on August 10, to Gowns for Doctors.

The Dr Kirby White Barbie is a one-of-a-kind doll and cannot be purchased.

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