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National Rural Health Student Network Council gathers in Adelaide – Elections now open for 2027
21st September 2026
On 12 and 13 September, Future Workforce Program Lead Sam Zelinski represented Rural Doctors Network in Adelaide at the second National Rural Health Student Network’s (NRHSN) Council for 2026.
As the administrator of the NRHSN on behalf of the Rural Workforce Agencies Network – (RWAN), Rural Doctors Network was thrilled to see more than 50 delegates and leaders from 29 Rural Health Clubs (RHCs) across Australia represented a powerful display of the Council’s collective commitment to rural health.
Over two days, the Council heard from keynote speaker Professor Lucie Walters, as well as guest speakers Samantha Petric, Associate Professor Luke Wakely and Melissa Alexander.
Professor Walters, a Rural Generalist, researcher and Director of the Adelaide Rural Clinical School, has been a leading voice in rural medical education for more than three decades. A former President of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, she is passionate about improving health outcomes for rural communities through the training and support of rural doctors.
Ms Petric is the Workforce Support Coordinator at CRANAplus, where she contributes to workforce development, policy and advocacy initiatives to support rural and remote health professionals. A remote area nurse and researcher, she is committed to advancing equitable and culturally safe healthcare across Australia. As a rural health researcher and paediatric physiotherapist from The University of Newcastle, Mr Wakely's work focuses on improving health equity for rural people with disability and their families.
Ms Alexander is an advanced practice paramedic, educator and healthcare leader with more than 23 years' experience across intensive care, community paramedicine and healthcare education. She combines frontline clinical practice with teaching and professional mentoring and is a strong advocate for innovative models of care, interdisciplinary collaboration and the advancement of paramedic practice.
The speakers’ diverse expertise provided valuable insights into rural workforce development, health equity and rural healthcare delivery, aligning closely with the Council's focus on supporting the next generation of rural health professionals.
In addition to the keynote presentations, delegates participated in a workshop led by Dr Shakespeare and her team titled Engaging with First Nations Patients, Kin and Communities. The session provided practical insights to support their development as culturally sensitive future rural health leaders. Dr Shakespeare is a Gadigal Saltwater woman and rural health leader and educator with extensive experience in workforce development, rural training pathways and building capacity across the health sector. She is an Indigenist scholar artist, legal practitioner and internationally recognised Aboriginal artist whose work focuses on the intersection of Custodial Governance, AI, data sovereignty and holistic wellbeing.
As this was the last Council meeting for many members of the current executive, it is an exciting opportunity for new students to get involved in the organisation. Elections are now open for several 2027 positions.
Apply now.
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