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Inaugural bursary helps medical students experience rural and remote practice

Royal Australian College of GPs

Eleven medical students from across Australia are the recipients of an inaugural bursary that will support them in undertaking immersive clinical placements of up to a full year in rural or remote communities.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) Medical Student Bursary provides each student with $1000 to make their placement more affordable and accessible. The Bursary can cover things like their fuel and travel costs, rental accommodation, clinical wear, meals, textbooks… and even childcare.

Approximately 220 medical students applied for the inaugural Bursary, demonstrating the strong interest from medical students in undertaking longer-term rural and remote placements, and the growing popularity of careers in Rural Medicine.

The recipients of this year’s Bursary (and their placement locations) are:

• Phoebe Doohan, the Australian National University
  3^rd year medical student, placement in Gundagai NSW (40 weeks – January to December 2026)

• Ebony Higson, Charles Sturt University
  3^rd year medical student, Lake Cargelligo NSW (4 weeks across July to October)
  Ebony comes to Medicine after working for over nine years as a paramedic in rural and remote NSW, including in remote towns like Walgett and Brewarrina. She is continuing to work as a paramedic while undertaking her medical studies.

• Zoe Burns, Deakin University
  4^th year medical student, Apollo Bay Victoria (5 weeks from April to May 2026)
• Lauren Navarrete, Flinders University
  3^rd year medical student, Palmerston NT (20 weeks in first semester 2026)
  Lauren comes to Medicine with a background in Midwifery and Public Health.
• Tayla Roberts, Flinders University
  3^rd year medical student, Port Lincoln SA (10 months from January to October 2026)
• Maeve Mitchell-Weir, Flinders University NT Medical Program
  3^rd year medical student, Katherine NT (6 months – June to November 2026)
• India Petherick-Cocking, James Cook University
  6^th year medical student, Thursday Island QLD (10 weeks – March to June 2026)
• Filbert Christone, the University of Adelaide
  5^th year medical student, Port Augusta SA (full 2026 academic year)
• Keara Fitzgerald, the University of Queensland
  4^th year medical student, Charleville QLD (8 weeks – May to July 2026)

• Georgia Masters, the University of Western Australia
  3^rd year medical student, Karratha WA (with rotations to Roebourne and Onslow) (full 2026 academic year)

• Angus Johnston-Walker, the University of Western Australia
  3^rd year medical student, Port Hedland WA (40 weeks – January to November 2026)

“We are delighted to be partnering with the RACGP to offer this important Bursary to help medical students undertake longer-term clinical placements in rural and remote locations, and have been thrilled with just how awesome they tell us their placements have been so far.” RDAA President, Dr Sarah Chalmers, said.

“Longer placements enable them to truly experience the wide range of presentations we see in rural and remote practice – in primary care, at the local hospital and in other care settings – while also embedding themselves in the local community, and getting to see how rewarding it can be to work and live in a rural or remote community.”

RACGP Rural Chair, Associate Professor Michael Clements, said: “Often a big limiting factor in a medical student being able to attend a longer-term rural or remote placement is the cost of getting there and staying there. In an era when more people are going back to uni to study Medicine in their 20s, 30s and 40s, it can also be about giving up that part-time work while you’re on placement, as well as affording childcare in your placement location.

“The evidence shows medical students who take rural placements are far more likely to work in rural communities in their career. These bursaries are a valuable investment in our future rural medical workforce. We’re excited to follow these students on their rural placement journeys and see the impact they’ll make in communities across Australia.”

Read quotes from each of our Bursary recipients below. High resolution photos of each recipient are available on request.

Bursary recipients, Dr Sarah Chalmers (RDAA), and Associate Professor Michael Clements (RACGP) are available for interviews:

• Patrick Daley, RDAA: 0408 004 890 / [email protected]
• RACGP media: 03 8699 0992 / [email protected].

Quotes from the 2026 RACGP and RDAA Medical Student Bursary recipients

Phoebe Doohan, the Australian National University

“This placement is giving me first-hand insight into the unique rewards and challenges of a career as a rural GP. I have already noticed it deepening my awareness of how social, environmental, and cultural factors influence patient outcomes, which has improved my ability to approach care holistically. I have also actively engaged with the community, including joining the local show jumping club, teaching children how to ride at the Gundagai Pony Club, serving as a board member of the local aged care facility, and participating in other sports including lawn bowls and tennis. These experiences have all strengthened my connection to the community.”

Ebony Higson, Charles Sturt University

“Having worked for over nine years as a paramedic in rural and remote NSW, I’ve mostly seen patients during emergencies, so this placement is giving me the opportunity to see the other side of care, including prevention and long-term management of chronic conditions. My goal is to practise as a Rural Generalist in regional NSW, and spending time in communities like Lake Cargelligo is an important step toward that. In my first two years of medical school I’ve mainly been placed in hospitals, and while that has been valuable, I’m really looking forward to learning in a general practice setting, given I plan to work in general practice in the long-term.”

Zoe Burns, Deakin University

“My year-long placement in Horsham played a major role in strengthening my interest in Rural Medicine. Being able to follow patients over time, rather than through one-off encounters, showed me the value of continuity of care and the trust rural GPs build within their communities. I was also drawn to the diversity of rural practice, from preventative care through to emergency presentations, and the meaningful role rural doctors play both inside and outside the clinic, which strengthened my desire to pursue a career in rural practice. My current five-week placement in Apollo Bay has expanded that perspective further by exposing me to the healthcare needs of a coastal rural community with diverse and changing healthcare demands. The placement has provided exposure across general practice, urgent care, acute hospital care and aged care, highlighting both the breadth and continuity of Rural Medicine. The team in Apollo Bay has also been incredibly supportive, generously investing time into teaching and creating opportunities for hands-on learning, which has further strengthened my enthusiasm for a future career in rural practice.”

Lauren Navarrete, Flinders University

“As an Adelaide-based medical student, I completed my GP placement in Palmerston, a regional suburb approximately 30 kilometres from Darwin in the Northern Territory. Across the placement, I worked primarily at Palmerston Super Clinic, while also spending time at a local Aboriginal Medical Service, which provided valuable exposure to the healthcare experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including patients presenting from remote communities across the Top End. Drawing on my background in Midwifery and Public Health, I further developed my skills in assessing and managing a wide variety of presentations under appropriate supervision. The experience deepened my understanding of culturally safe, holistic care and the complex social determinants that shape health outcomes. Most importantly, I formed meaningful connections with both patients and the healthcare team, reinforcing my confidence and long-term commitment to rural and remote general practice.”

Tayla Roberts, Flinders University

“Port Lincoln is a beautiful town located 650km from Adelaide on the Eyre Peninsula, SA. I grew up in the town of Streaky Bay, about three hours’ drive away. I’ve been lucky enough to be provided with the first ever Flinders University medical student placement in Port Lincoln. Seven weeks of my 10 month placement are also being spent at a practice at Tumby Bay. My ultimate career aspiration is to eventually return to the Eyre Peninsula to work as a Rural Generalist doctor. It is my first time on placement in a rural location, and after only a few months on placement here I already felt a strong sense of belonging in the community through the relationships I have built with staff, patients and the wider community.”

Maeve Mitchell-Weir, Flinders University NT Medical Program

“Having the opportunity to learn and practise Medicine throughout the beautiful Northern Territory is an opportunity I do not take lightly. This placement is giving me the opportunity to engage in rural-based community medicine, understand the challenges of working within a remote healthcare system and reinforce the importance of providing accessible, compassionate care. Through my volunteer role as Dignity Drive Lead for the Northern Territory, I have learnt to understand the value of this dignity-centred care and the barriers vulnerable populations face, by assisting in the collection and coordination of essential sanitary products across the Northern Territory to women in need for the past several years. The value of providing those in need with dignity-centred care through essential sanitary products cannot be under-appreciated in addressing all aspects of health. Although the way in which I provide whole-person, holistic care at the moment might just be a packet of sanitary pads to someone struggling, I hope this can one day be in the form of supportive medical care across the Northern Territory for many years to come.”

India Petherick-Cocking, James Cook University

“I have been undertaking placement in the Torres Strait Islands, based on Waibene (Thursday Island) and attached to their hospital and health clinics across the outer islands of the Torres Strait. I have been working across the ward, emergency department, maternity, operating theatre, community clinic, visiting specialist clinics and participating in outreach to the outer islands. The placement has enabled me to gain important experience as a junior doctor, honing my clinical skills and learning more about the key role of multidisciplinary teams in rural health centres. This placement has given me a fantastic insight into the wide range of work that Rural Generalists undertake, and it has helped shape my medical career plans.”

Filbert Christone, the University of Adelaide

“I have been spending this year on placement in Port Augusta and its surrounding communities, through dedicated clinical terms at the Ghan Medical Centre, Pika Wiya Aboriginal Health Service, and Royal Flying Doctor Service. At each placement, I have had the opportunity to parallel consult alongside my GP supervisor, strengthening my clinical reasoning and assisting with procedures. I have also experienced the inspirational breadth of work that Rural GPs and Rural Generalists do, from RFDS outreach and retrievals to hospital-based intensive care. Of particular personal impact is the opportunity to serve Aboriginal communities and learn from exemplary displays of culturally safe and sensitive care, clinical yarning to foster trust and rapport, and empowering culture to improve health outcomes. The long-term nature of the placement allows me to follow patients on their health journeys, better appreciate their healthcare challenges within rural settings, and collaborate with them to achieve better outcomes.”

Keara Fitzgerald, the University of Queensland

“My placement in Charleville is helping me progress my long-term goal of becoming a Rural Generalist. My first placement here provided invaluable hands-on experience in assessing and managing a broad range of conditions commonly seen in rural practice, as well as complex cases and unique presentations. During this second placement, I want to further develop my skills, including in managing complex cases, stabilising patients for retrieval, preventative medicine, and providing culturally safe healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. An equally important part of the placement is the opportunity to engage with the Charleville community! Charleville is an 8 hour drive from home in Toowoomba, so the Bursary is making the placement much more affordable in terms of fuel costs.”

Georgia Masters, the University of Western Australia

“My time so far in Roebourne has already taught me so much about the broad skill-set that Rural GPs and Rural Generalists bring to their communities! I am improving my procedural skills, history taking and formulation of care plans, as well as furthering my skills in preventative healthcare. I am also building my knowledge and skills in Aboriginal Health and culturally safe practice. While on placement, I am hoping to take this time to explore the beautiful Pilbara region. I have always envisioned rural general practice for my medical career – I've really enjoyed my placement so far and this has reinforced my vision for the future.”

Angus Johnston-Walker, the University of Western Australia

“I am completing my placement in Port Hedland, WA, and in outreach clinics delivered by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Having grown up in rural WA, I am strongly committed to pursuing a career as a Rural GP, and placements like this are essential in preparing me for that. With experience volunteering in lifesaving and St John Ambulance, I am particularly interested in the intersection between primary care, emergency medicine and retrieval medicine in remote settings. Equally important is learning from the community itself – through this placement, I hope to better understand the many factors that influence healthcare and health outcomes in the Pilbara, and also further develop the communication skills required to build trust and deliver culturally safe care.”

~ENDS

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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the peak representative organisation for general practice, the backbone of Australia’s health system. We set the standards for general practice, facilitate lifelong learning for GPs, connect the general practice community, and advocate for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

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