Rural Doctors' Association of NSW

17/11/2025

Today, Dr Rachel Christmas, President, Rural Doctors' Association NSW met with Dr Joe McGirr to launch an open letter to the Health Minister.

Check out the 6 point action plan at https://joemcgirr.com.au/rhap

It was great to be joined today by the president of the Rural Doctors’ Association, Dr Rachel Christmas, to launch an open letter to the Health Minister, calling for important reform to rural and regional health care.

The open letter calls on the government to implement the six-point Rural Health Action Plan, which has the support of more than 20 medical, community and local government agencies.

We are calling on the government to take action now so that regional and rural communities get the health services they deserve, and I look forward to working with the minister to make these reforms a reality.

You can see the plan at https://joemcgirr.com.au/rhap

17/11/2025

⚠️ Our next Awards podcast for 2025 has dropped! ⚠️

This one features the incredible Dr Jean Littlewood, RDAA's Rural Doctor in Training of the Year. 🤩

Jean is an absolute dynamo of Rural Medicine, and the phrase she coined – ‘Guilt is not a rural recruitment strategy’ – has taken on a life of its own!

Now in her final year of Rural Generalist training with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), she’s already contributed to the work of numerous organisations, including serving for 3 years on the Rural Doctors' Association of NSW Management Committee.

One of her most impactful contributions while on that Committee was the part she played in gaining a fairer deal for NSW’s rurally-based Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) when they undertake rotations to metropolitan hospitals.

Jean is currently working and training in the North West NSW town of Coonabarabran...and if she’s not busy enough already, she still finds time to take to the field for a game or two of country rugby union – a sport she’s played at a NSW representative level.

Listen to our podcast on YouTube:
https://bit.ly/4p9tnPu

Listen via Buzzsprout:
https://bit.ly/4p3OYsp

Rural Doctors' Association of NSW Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Warrumbungle Medical Centre NSW Health Western NSW Local Health District Rural Doctors Network - RDN Rural Doctors Foundation

16/11/2025

RDAA President Dr Sarah Chalmers & Chair of RACGP’s Rural Council Dr Michael Clements’ announced our joint bursary to support 10 medical students undertake a placement in rural general practice at GP25

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

⏰ Only two weeks left to apply for Rural Generalist training in 2026!

If you’re still deciding where to take your career, join our upcoming webinar showcasing the incredible lifestyle, training opportunities, and community connections waiting for you in SA and WA!

Hear from doctors who live and work there, and discover why now is the perfect time to start your rural journey.

👉 Register now: https://bit.ly/4oC3oAg

11/11/2025

🩺 Do you manage a general practice in a Hunter or New England MMM 3–7 area? You could be eligible for a $15,000 GP Relocation & Retention Grant to incentivise a GP to:
✅ Relocate a GP from outside the region
✅ Retain a current registrar
✅ A total of eight grants x $15,000 are available in 2025. Apply before 30 November 2025.

https://thephn.com.au/news/15-000-grants-now-open-to-support-gps-moving-to-or-staying-in-regional-nsw

09/11/2025

Applications for Round 2 of the Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) close on Wednesday 12 November 2025.

Learn more and apply👉 https://loom.ly/6xVbhZ0

An initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and administered in New South Wales by RDN, HWSP provides scholarships and bursaries to help health professionals in rural and remote Australia retain and enhance their skills, capacity and scope of practice.

The HWSP is available to , , , , and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals providing primary health care in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) sector, non-government organisations and private practice.

Due to the success of HWSP, processes, timings, and guidelines have been reviewed and updated and are now available on RDN’s webpage.

07/11/2025

06/11/2025

❗️The RDA NSW is warning that some LHDs appear to be planning for future health service provision in a handful of their larger regional towns only, with an increased focus on technology to provide virtual access to care (or increased travel to the larger centres for care) for those living in smaller, outlying communities.

🏪 RDA NSW’s concern was sparked by a written message from the Chief Executive of the Western NSW Local Health District (LHD), Mr Mark Spittal, indicating that over the next year, the LHD ‘will put more focus on how the regional services in our larger cities [Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo] and the procedurals (sic) services in our four intermediate communities of Cowra, Forbes, Parkes, and Mudgee work together. That's where 78% of our people will soon live.’

🧐Read more about why the NSW Government should require its Local Health Districts (LHDs) to retain local emergency and other health services for all communities across their districts in their future planning, and to fund LHDs more appropriately to support this.

The Rural Doctors’ Association of NSW (RDANSW) has urged the NSW Government to require its Local Health Districts (LHDs) to retain local emergency and other health services for all communities across their districts in their future planning, and to fund LHDs more appropriately to support this – ...

28/10/2025

Meet Dr James Sterrey, proud RDN Cadet alumnus, and speaker at this year's Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference.

Dr Sterrey is an Ophthalmologist and proud former RDN Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadet. After training around Australia, Dr Sterrey and his family are settling in , NSW. His interests outside of medicine include camping 🏕️ old cars 🚘 and amateur farming. 🧑‍🌾

At the Conference, Dr Sterrey will be one of the regional specialists involved in the dynamic chat session called 'Ask Me Anything: Real Talk on Regional Speciality Training Pathways'. It will be a space for open, honest conversations about the realities and rewards of specialty training in regional settings.

The chat corner will also include specialists training in ED, Anaesthetics, Surgery, Geriatrics, Palliative Care, Dermatology, Psychiatry and BPT.

Don't miss out on the medical student conference of the year to be held on Saturday 29 November at the Hilton Sydney! Register now 👉 https://loom.ly/quIGNmU

28/10/2025

We're super excited to announce that we have signed an MOU with our good friends across the Pacific Ocean at the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC)! 🇨🇦🇦🇺

The MOU will further underpin SRPC and RDAA knowledge sharing on policies, strategies and solutions for stronger rural health sectors in both our countries, as well as reciprocal benefits for members of both our organisations.

(...And of course we have promised to share our best recipes featuring maple syrup and Vegemite...)

We signed the MOU at last weekend's Rural Medicine Australia - RMA conference in Perth, and it was wonderful to welcome SRPC President Dr Gavin Parker and President-elect Dr Sarah Giles (both on the left in the photo below) to the signing ceremony to represent the SRPC.

Read more about our MOU (and what it means for our members and both our organisations) here - http://bit.ly/4odpCZe

27/10/2025

PARENTING: Training to be a doctor takes many years, long hours and continual study.
Often those years are shared with starting a family, but how do you juggle both?
Join us on Wednesday, October 29 at 7pm for a webinar with AMA (NSW) councillors Dr James Lawler, Dr Alan Pham, Dr Ai-Vee Chua and Dr Amandeep Hansra, who will guide medical students and doctors-in-training through the process.
Topics will include practical strategies and tips for managing clinical duties alongside parenting responsibilities; understanding your parenting entitlements;
dealing with the emotional challenges of juggling roles and advice on self-care and seeking mental health support.
We'll also talk about how AMA (NSW) can support you with any workplace concerns.
To register, please click here: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/cct4s/ama_nsw_webinar_medical_students_and_dits_juggling_parenting_and_internship.aspx