Rural Doctors' Association of NSW

28/04/2026

🎉 Announcing our 2026 Scholarship Recipients! 🎉

The Rural Doctors’ Association of NSW is delighted to introduce the two recipients of the 2026 Dr Andrew Egan Rural Medical Scholarship – Ella Cowgill and Kainen White 👏

Both Ella and Kainen are second-year medical students with strong rural roots and a shared passion for returning to practise in rural and regional communities.

🌿 Ella, who grew up in Bermagui on the Far South Coast, was inspired to pursue medicine by her experiences in the Bega Valley – including the 2020 Black Summer bushfires, where she saw firsthand the vital role rural doctors play in supporting communities through crisis.

🌾 Kainen, from Taree, brings a deep understanding of the challenges and strengths of rural life. His journey into medicine has been shaped by resilience, personal experience, and a strong commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes in regional areas.

Each scholarship is valued at $7,500 and includes mentorship from an experienced rural doctor – supporting these future doctors as they take the next steps in their medical careers.

Like many rural students, Ella and Kainen have relocated far from home to study medicine, and this support will help ease the financial pressures that come with it.

We are incredibly proud to support these outstanding students and look forward to seeing the impact they will make in rural medicine 💙

We also extend our sincere thanks to the Egan family for helping us continue Dr Andrew Egan’s legacy through this important scholarship.

Click on the link below to read the full media release: https://mailchi.mp/rdaa.com.au/the-bush-telegraph-autumn-8252389?e=f259f94653

Daily Telegraph Manning River Times Bega District News The Bugle Observer

24/04/2026

24/04/2026

Immunisation has:

✅ saved more than 150 million lives worldwide over 50 years

✅ improved infant survival by 40%

✅ protected tens of millions of children from over 30 life-threatening diseases and infections (and for some of those diseases, subsequent lifelong disabilities).

Despite these positive outcomes, however, immunisation rates in Australia continue to fall! 🫣

In the lead-up to World Immunization Week 2026, we are urging rural and remote Australians to not be a:

🎯 denier
🎯 disbeliever
🎯 or even just a dawdler!
..and instead ensure you and your children are up-to-date on your immunisations. They can truly be life-saving! 🤩

Read our media statement:
https://bit.ly/4sSM3EG

World Health Organization (WHO) Australian Centre for Disease Control Immunisation Coalition Emma McBride MP Mark Butler MP

📸 CDC (on Unsplash)

18/04/2026

Our platinum partner, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), are offering five medical students the chance to win free registration and travel support to the AMSA Rural Health Summit!

To go in the draw, tell us in 100 words or less why you would like to attend the summit and how attending could benefit your career by midnight Monday 27 April 2026. Enter the competition here.

Competition Link: https://racgp.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5X66246WLaNpHg

16/04/2026

🧐Interested in a rural medical career?

Now time to listen to why some of the best intern places ,and best places to work and play are in rural.

Last chance to register for the online NSW Rural Preferential Recruitment Sites Showcase hosted by the NSW Regional Training Hub Network and HETI - Health Education and Training Institute.

This Saturday 18th April 2026 from 08.45am- 2pm

The Showcase will include an informative and interactive morning providing first-hand knowledge from the regional hospitals involved in RPR. The morning will cover topics including:
-prevocational and vocational training opportunities
-pros of life in that region
-knowledge about potential elective opportunities

To register, visit the website: https://www.wnswregionaltraininghub.com/events-1/nsw-rpr-sites-showcase

Join DPETs, JMOs, and Hubs from the 12 RPR sites to learn about each site and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions.

16/04/2026

16/04/2026

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program is a Commonwealth funded program offering urban and rural training opportunities

16/04/2026

RDAA has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of an additional 100 GP training places in 2027 – including for rural GP and Rural Generalist (RG) trainees – bringing to over 2000 the total number of GP and RG training places available annually in Australia. In the lead-up to the Feder...

15/04/2026

📣It's time to introduce another RDA NSW Committee member: Dr Andrew Greig, pictured on the right, enjoying some time off catching up with a friend.

⏱️How long have you been in the role?
15 months (?)

🏥 Where do you work?
Northern NSW Health District - Lismore, Casino, Grafton

🩺 Why did you join RDA NSW?
I admired two representatives at my hospital when I first started as an intern - Oliver who was an SRMO at the time, pursuing rural medicine and advocating for junior doctors. And Sue Velovski, whose tireless work and advocacy for rural doctors, and support of junior doctors, was particularly inspiring. I realised early that I wanted to get involved to support the same causes.

🏆 Highlights in the role?
Welcoming and supporting new interns each year! Also getting an insight into what rural health looks like throughout the career cycle - being party to conversations around long term health management and rural health advocacy at the senior level that I would never have been exposed to until years down the road.

🚴‍♀️ What do you do when you’re not working?
Read, explore new places to eat or sightsee in my area. Gyms, cafes, and picturesque hillsides are my world outside medicine!

🌍 Favourite place you’ve visited?
I have a soft spot for Maclean and Yamba in my area - good memories, lovely people and food.

🍜 Favourite food?
A good steak.

🤔 If you weren’t a doctor, you’d be…
A physiotherapist, or an emerging health technologies researcher.

We look forward to introducing the rest of the RDA NSW Committee in coming weeks.

13/04/2026

The General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program (GPPTSP) aims to improve access to maternity services for women living in rural and remote communities by helping Fellows to gain advanced procedural skills in obstetrics or anaesthetics.

GPPTSP provides $40,000 of Commonwealth funding to complete either:
• RANZCOG Associate Advanced Procedural (APTP), or
• ANZCA Rural Generalist Anaesthesia (RGA) training program.

The Anaesthetics component is managed by ACRRM and the Obstetrics component of the program is managed by RANZCOG.

The deadline to apply for the Anaesthetics program is approaching, with applications closing on Friday 24 April 2026.

Don't miss this opportunity to advance your skills and make a difference in your community.

Apply Now: https://bit.ly/4vmw6ZI

13/04/2026

13/04/2026

When you apply now, you can start training in early 2027 😀

Don't miss this chance to start your rewarding career as a Rural Generalist, where every day is different.

Find out more and apply now: https://bit.ly/4sjLJ18