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RDN Cadet “part of the solution”
13th March 2026
“I didn’t want to be a doctor who just looked at rural health from a textbook — I wanted to be part of the solution; The RDN Cadet program was the perfect bridge.”
This month, former RDN Cadet and Stage 3 Psychiatry Registrar at Albury Wodonga Health (AWH), Dr Chris Henry, has reflected on his journey as he enters the final stage of psychiatry training, telling AWH that “…moving inland didn't mean losing my connection to Country; it meant expanding it.”
“Looking back, the diversity of my training has been the foundation of my growth,” Dr Henry said.
Explaining that he “…did not walk this path alone,” Dr Henry credits a network of support for helping him achieve success so far, including the role RDN’s Cadetship program had.
“My journey has been bolstered by a network of support that understands the unique challenges of being an Indigenous doctor in a regional rural setting,” Dr Henry said.
“Most of this applies for all Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) psychiatry registrars except for my support from Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) and the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN).
When asked by AWH what first attracted him to the RDN Cadet program, Dr Henry explained that it was wanting to be part of the solution.
“Growing up in a rural community, I saw firsthand the ‘stoic silence’ that often surrounds mental health and the genuine struggle families face when specialist care is hours away,” Dr Henry said.
"I didn't want to be a doctor who just looked at rural health from a textbook – I wanted to be part of the solution. The RDN Cadet program was the perfect bridge – it recognised that coming from the bush gives you a 'cultural shorthand' with rural patients that you just can't teach in a city lecture theatre.
“As an RDN Cadetship alumnus, I was given financial support as a medical student with a legal arrangement to work west of the Great Dividing Range for two years. I fell in love with the region, my colleagues, the work and the training program and am still here at Albury Wodonga Health having just entered my fifth year as a doctor,” Dr Henry said.
Dr Henry was recently offered the position of a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Rural Psychiatry Champion, a role he says “allows me to represent the College and to advocate for the future of our rural workforce.”
“My time inland has also ignited a passion for advocacy in particular Indigenous health, rural health, rural mental health, and rural medical specialist training pathways.
“In 2026, the role of a RANZCP Rural Registrar Champion serves as a vital bridge between the College and trainees practicing in regional, rural, and remote areas.”
Read Dr Henry’s full story here.
Did you know?
Cadets belong to the Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadetship and Indigenous Cadetship program, run by Rural Doctors Network on behalf of the NSW Ministry of Health. The program financially supports medical students who are interested in undertaking a career in rural health in NSW, and who agree to undertake the two of the first three years of their hospital training in an eligible rural NSW hospital.
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