Rural, remote and First Nations people are being reminded not to become complacent about vaccine-preventable diseases as the country experiences its largest diphtheria outbreak in decades.
When Dr Prashan Kuruppu first arrived at South Australia’s Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service as an ACRRM registrar, he hoped he was there to learn rural and remote medicine.
Instead, he found himself helping children prepare healthy meals, supporting local football programs and discovering a model of care that extended far beyond the clinic walls.
Today, Joint Colleges Training Services (JCTS), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) mark the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, embracing this year’s theme ‘All In’ – a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every day.
This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, ‘All In’, calls on all Australians to take shared responsibility for advancing reconciliation and improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Rural Australians seeking ADHD assessment and support continue to face major barriers to care, including long wait times, travel costs and limited access to specialist services. ACRRM has launched a new online course designed to support doctors to build confidence in recognising ADHD presentations, undertaking assessment, and participating safely in management and shared care models.
As Australia marks National Road Safety Week, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is highlighting the critical role Rural Generalists play as first responders to serious road crashes across regional, rural and remote Australia.
For many doctors considering a career in rural generalism, questions about remuneration, employment and financial support are just as important as questions about training itself. Understanding how Rural Generalist training works in practice can help you make more informed decisions about your career pathway and what life during training may look like.
The allergy education and advice platform, allergy assist® is being continued beyond a successful initial trial period. Since launching, more than 800 doctors have registered with allergy assist®, reflecting the increasing need. There has been a strong uptake by GPs and Rural Generalists in regional, rural and remote areas, reflecting two thirds of registrations.
South Australia’s Kangaroo Island is a place defined by community. Remote, rugged and spectacular, it is home to 4,800 people who rely deeply on one another. For many years, Kangaroo Island had a resident GP workforce, however, the Island has more recently grappled with pressures facing many rural and remote healthcare providers: limited workforce supply, long and expensive recruitment cycles, shorter retention period of resident workforce, and stretching resources to provide the continuity of care that people deserve.
It’s been a busy week across Australian Parliaments with the Victorian, Northern Territory, Western Australian and Federal 2026-27 Budgets handed down. Each recognises the significant economic challenges arising from the ongoing Middle East conflict, with new spending kept to conservative levels given the uncertain times. However, health remains a key priority area across the four Budgets.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) acknowledges the Federal Government’s continued investment in hospitals, Medicare and workforce training, while warning the Federal Budget lacks targeted measures to address the growing and urgent challenges facing rural and remote communities.
Thousands of Australians in rural and remote communities face a stark reality: when the end of life approaches, specialist palliative care is often hundreds of kilometres away.
The National Council of Primary Care Doctors (NCPCD), representing primary care leaders across Australia, has released its 2026 pre-Budget joint statement, calling for targeted investment in longer consultations, workforce sustainability and culturally safe care.
In rural and remote communities, familiarity is part of daily life. For a Rural Generalist practising in these regions, that closeness can support care - but it can also add complexity, particularly when a patient discloses family or domestic violence.
ACRRM is proud to recognise a remarkable group of staff who have each contributed more than 10 years of service to the College, with several reaching milestones of 20 and even 25 years.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is calling on the Australian Government to use the 2026–27 Federal Budget to ensure Medicare properly recognises the advanced skills Rural Generalists provide in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is urging the Australian Government to make rural and remote liveability a priority in the 2026–27 Federal Budget.