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Learn. Lead. Advocate: over 170 future doctors attend Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference
01st December 2025
By Ashlyn Brown
Learn. Lead. Advocate.
That was the takeaway for over 170 future doctors who gathered in Sydney on Saturday 29 November for the 2025 Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference. This one-of-a-kind Rural Health Month event is designed specifically for medical students with an interest in rural medicine.
The Conference was co-hosted by RDN and the NSW Regional Training Hub Networks, and co-sponsored by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
Now in its 4th year, the Conference has been supported from the beginning by NSW Health, as part of the State’s approach to nurturing the future health workforce for rural and regional areas.
“RDN truly appreciates the ongoing support from NSW Health of this annual future doctor event,” RDN Chief Operating Officer Mike Edwards reflected. “I was inspired with the growth in future doctors at the event, and the calibre and commitment of these doctors. It has been a privilege to partner with NSW Health for so many years on this conference and other initiatives.
“NSW Health have consistently committed a great level of support and training ground for future doctors through a variety of RDN workforce programs. These future doctors will have the confidence and capability to deliver both primary and public health care for communities across NSW."
The Conference program was designed to enhance students’ understanding of career opportunities within the rural health workforce, promote culturally safe healthcare practices, and support the development of strong professional networks. It featured an array of topics ranging from Listening and Learning: Allyship and Shared Advocacy to Real Talk on Regional Speciality Training Pathways and Medicine in Motion: An RFDS Simulation Session. The sessions, and the meaningful dialogue and collaboration they inspired, lent themselves to this year’s Conference theme:
Learn. Lead. Advocate: Shaping the Future of Rural Health.
“We’re here this week to inspire the next generation of medical students,” Chris Russell, RDN’s Future Workforce Manager, told Win News. “The goal for the Conference is for them to be inspired to meet with and hear from all the great rural GPs and rural doctors all across the state and to learn about the pathways that are available to them for when they graduate from medical school.”
The Conference did just that for Kate Crawford, a Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadet from the University of Notre Dame.
“I’m a Cadet, so it’s a really good opportunity to come down and meet other likeminded students and a really good opportunity to talk to clinicians with the RDN and ruralist programs, and just to get an idea of what it’s like ahead for us.”
Dr Louis Peachey, a Girrimay and Djirribal man from the Djirriibaligan language group, welcomed students in his narrative-rich keynote address, which touched on his journey to and through medicine. Dr Peachey recalled that when he graduated in medicine, the total number of Indigenous doctors throughout Australia totalled four. Now the figure is approaching 1000.
As the founding President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association and having been awarded a Life Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine in recognition of service to the College, Dr Peachey has made a significant contribution to rural and remote medicine and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Dr Peachey is currently a General Practitioner at Mulungu Aboriginal Medical Service and a Senior Medical Officer at the Lotus Glen Correctional Centre and offered a wealth of wisdom and anecdotes that had students laughing and reverently nodding in equal measure.
For Elody Huelmo from the University of New England, Dr Peachey’s address was a highlight.
“I really enjoyed Dr Peachey’s talk this morning; it was amazing.
“I’m most excited about networking with all of the other Cadets from the other unis, it’s really exciting hearing about all their journeys,” she added.
RDN’s Future Workforce Program Lead, Eleanor Knight, played a significant role in bringing together an engaging range of rural clinicians, students and student doctors for the event and spoke to the success of creating a space to gather.
"We’ve got more than 170 students here today, which is just fantastic. They’ve come from universities and communities all across New South Wales.
"A key theme running through the day has been leadership and advocacy, which has been highlighted in every session. One of the most inspiring parts has been seeing the conference speakers stay, listen to one another, and support each other, as well as the students. There’s a genuine sense of community and connection in the room, which is such an important value in rural and regional communities, and it’s wonderful to be able to feel that so strongly here today."
Savana Purss from the University of Sydney, who is currently studying in Dubbo, spoke of the relevance of the sessions for her future career planning.
“I’m really excited to get my head around the rural generalist pathway and what’s out there. I really enjoyed the panel of the different rural generalists, I particularly liked it because I’m based in Dubbo and there were some local ones there. I thought it was great!”
A diverse range of regional specialists participated in the dynamic chat session Ask Me Anything: Real Talk on Regional Speciality Training Pathways.
Amongst them was Dr Chris Henry, a Walbunga man from Yuin Country and proud RDN Cadet alumnus. Passionate about Indigenous and rural mental health, and currently working and training in psychiatry in Albury Wodonga, Dr Henry brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the session, helping to inform students’ understanding of regional speciality training.
Joining him in the chat session was ophthalmologist and fellow alumnus Dr James Sterrey, who trained around Australia before settling in Bathurst with his family. The chat corner also included specialists training in ED, anaesthetics, surgery, geriatrics, palliative care, dermatology, psychiatry and Basic Physician Training (BPT).
Dr Jim Stephen, who has worked as a GP for 20 years in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health, joined a panel alongside Dr Jordan Amos in the Listening and Learning: Allyship and Shared Advocacy session.
Dr Stephen has had a dynamic career in rural and remote communities, including working with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress in Alice Springs, before moving to Broome, Darwin and now working at the Awabakal Medical Service in Newcastle.
Dr Lachie McKeeman, another proud RDN Cadet alumnus, spoke passionately in the From Passion to Policy: Advocating for Rural Health session alongside RDA NSW President Dr Rachel Christmas, RDN Board Member Dr Amanda Brownlow and RDN Cadet Dr Maddeson Hardman, whom Monday Message recently reported as HETI’s Junior Medical Officer of the Year. The overall takeaway for students as they move forward in their career? Aim to make a difference.
"The past 3 years I have learnt the difficulty of blurring the lines between medical practice and political community advocacy," Dr McKeeman said. "In Albury Wodonga, our communities fight for a better deal for our local health system."
"Every doctor has a choice on where and what they can extend the impact of their qualification to, and I am keen to tell my story."
The Royal Flying Doctor Service led an exciting interactive simulation session, Medicine in Motion, where students had the chance to collaborate as they reacted to rural patient case scenarios. The session was a highlight of the program for Yusra Chalak from the University of New South Wales.
“I’m most excited to engage with the Royal Flying Doctor Service simulation. I feel like it’s a bit rare and not a typical workshop that you get to experience at a conference, so I’m keen!”
Many of those in attendance, as well as those speaking, are proud RDN Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadets who have, through the Cadet program funded by the NSW Ministry of Health, already begun dedicating their careers to rural medicine. The significance of fostering the future workforce in the early years of their careers through educational and networking events such as the Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference is no better exemplified than by the retention rate of the RDN Cadets, over 60% of whom have continued practicing rurally, following the completion of their return of service in rural areas.
Dr Pip Kensit, a Cadet and now junior doctor working in Orange, was interviewed by WIN News on the sidelines of the conferences. “From a medical student perspective… we have an increased number of interests in rural and remote locations. That starts from medical student placement experiences,” Dr Kensit said.
“We know that more and more, students are wanting rural and remote placement experiences, and the correlation of positive placement experience and longer-term outcomes is absolutely our biggest indicator of people staying in the country.
“This is one of our most tangible, sustainable programs out there and I’m very proud to say I’m a Cadet and I wouldn’t be here without it.”
“The fact that you have a sense of connectedness and purpose to community is something you don’t get everywhere.”
Conveniently co-located with the Rural GPs Conference, the event created a space for students to network with delegates, sponsors and potential future colleagues. The students’ attendance at the GPs dinner on Saturday night was yet another opportunity to bring together the long-serving and current practitioners with the future rural medical workforce to collaborate, learn and celebrate together.
Another generation of learned leaders and advocates are now freshly inspired by the promise of rural health!
Co-hosted by RDN and the NSW Regional Training Hub Networks with the support of NSW Health, the Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference is brought to you by the National Rural Health Student Network, Australian Medical Students' Association and the Rural Doctors' Association of NSW. The Conference is proudly co-sponsored by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
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