“Even though I grew up in Adelaide, I always wanted to live out in the country,” James reflects. “The fondest memories from my childhood were school holidays camping and exploring. I had several trips to the Riverland, so when the opportunity came to complete the third year of my medical degree in Renmark, I jumped at it.”

That one year turned into a lifelong commitment to rural health. After working across rural South Australia and Victoria, James found his professional and personal home back in the Riverland. The variety of work across private practice, rural hospitals, and academic settings continues to energise his career to this day.

But for James, something had been missing: formal recognition of the broad scope of work he’d been doing for decades.

“In my early years, I trained extensively on the job — in obstetrics, anaesthetics, emergency, surgery — but at the time there was no formalised recognition for Rural Generalists. I wasn’t willing to step out of practice to chase a title that didn’t exist yet,” he says.

That changed when he saw that ACRRM’s REEF pathway was open for applications.

“I’d been training medical students and junior doctors for years and saw firsthand the benefits of ACRRM’s training approach. The REEF program gave me the chance to join my trainees in Fellowship — and to be formally recognised for the skills I’ve spent years developing in the field.”

James found the application process straightforward and even unexpectedly rewarding.

“Writing a new CV and cover letter for the first time in a decade gave me a chance to pause and reflect on more than 20 years of study and hard work,” he says. “The interview process was collegial and encouraging — not stressful at all.”

As a long-standing supervisor of ACRRM registrars, James thrives on mentoring future Rural Generalists.

“Registrars bring in new perspectives and see a different patient cohort, often with rare and wonderful conditions. I learn from them all the time. It's incredibly rewarding to watch them grow professionally, engage with our community, and even start their own families here.”

Having walked the path himself, James recognises the unique challenges facing rural registrars — especially the shift from hospital-based care to independent rural practice.

“That transition is the hardest part,” he says. “You go from being part of a big team to being the lead decision-maker in the room. But registrars aren't alone. We’ve built a support network — with induction programs, regular teaching, close supervision and open lines of communication — to help them make the leap confidently.”

James is also passionate about the broader role Rural Generalists play in Australia’s healthcare future.

“We’re highly skilled and cost-effective. Rural Generalists boost community-based care and also help hospitals deliver services that wouldn’t otherwise exist — like anaesthetics, obstetrics, emergency, and Aboriginal health services.”

His message to other experienced rural doctors considering the REEF pathway?

“Do it. The process isn’t hard, and it’s incredibly validating. We need more experienced rural doctors to take this step — to strengthen our profession, grow our College, and have their incredible contributions formally recognised.”