Rural health summit inspires future doctors to consider country medicine careers
15 Jun 2026
The event was held last month in Armidale, New South Wales, and brought together students, rural doctors, and medical educators to explore what working in rural general practice is really like.
The summit is run by the Australian Medical Students’ Association, with the RACGP as its platinum partner.
About 190 students interested in rural health careers attended the event, along with five RACGP members who ran practical clinical sessions and took part in a rural career panel, sharing their personal experiences and career pathways.
A key feature of the summit was the Rural Rescue Challenge, which was sponsored by the RACGP and gave students the chance to work through hands-on medical scenarios in a rural setting.
RACGP Rural GP registrar Dr Codie Miller said returning to his home region made the experience even more meaningful.
He said rural practice allows doctors to make a strong difference in their communities and experience a wider scope of clinical work than in city settings.
Organisers said the practical sessions were designed to strengthen interest in rural general practice and support the future medical workforce.
Summit deputy convenor James Ng said feedback from students was strongly positive, particularly about the hands-on learning activities.
He said students valued the chance to learn directly from experienced rural doctors and see real-life clinical situations.
He said many students changed their view of rural practice after the event, moving from hesitation to seeing it as a realistic career option.
He said the experience helped build connections between students, doctors, and rural communities, planting the idea of future careers in country medicine.
Rural health summit inspires future doctors to consider country medicine careers
Source: newsGP