Across Australia, our Rural Generalists are making a meaningful impact in their communities, shaping stronger healthcare systems, and forging diverse and inspiring career paths. Many ACRRM members have also been recognised nationally, receiving awards for their leadership, dedication, and contribution to rural and remote medicine.

Explore our collection of member stories to discover the real experiences behind rural generalism - the challenges, the rewards, and the journeys that define our College.

If you’re an ACRRM Rural Generalist and would like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at communications@acrrm.org.au.

It can be hard counting down the months before starting on the ACRRM Rural Generalist Fellowship program. But for incoming registrar Dr Nathan O’Dea, standing still was never an option. It was deep in the mud and humidity of the Papua New Guinea jungle on day two of the infamous Kokoda Track that the reality of that mindset set in.

“It was a mental challenge,” he says. “A hard awakening. 

“Day one was relatively easy—a short three-kilometre trek—but by day two, people were struggling to get their heads around it. 

“We were starting to wonder what we were in for.” 

The eight-day, 100-kilometre trek traces the path of World War II Papuan ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’ and their Australian soldiers and is renowned for testing even the fittest and most resilient. 

With a background in the Australian Army Reserve, the trip also served another purpose for Dr O’Dea — raising funds for the Commando Welfare Trust, which supports Special Operations Command soldiers, veterans and their families through financial assistance and programs focused on mental health, education and wellbeing. 

Dr O’Dea completed the trek alongside his brother and a long-time friend in the lead-up to ANZAC Day, reaching Owers Corner on 24 April. 

“The ANZAC Day service the next day at Bomana War cemetery was particularly moving.” 

So were the mateships he formed. 

“I went on the trip with my brother and a long-time mate, but was not close with the others in the group of eighteen trekkers he says. 

“That quickly changed. 

“You’re sharing everything—food, resources, morale which quickly builds friendships.” 

Even in the jungle, Dr O’Dea never fully switched off from being a doctor—carrying a first aid kit and ready to spin up a response alongside a Papuan New Guinean medic and RAAF Expeditionary and Intensive Care Nurse. It’s a mindset that reflects where he feels most at home clinically. 

Like many who find their way to becoming Rural Generalists, his path has not been linear. 

Originally completing a science degree, Dr O’Dea found research rewarding, but something was missing. 

“It was satisfying solving problems, but I was looking for that immediate impact—helping people directly.” 

He went on to study medicine at the University of Notre Dame, later undertaking ICU training and developing a strong interest in anaesthetics—an area he is considering for Advanced Specialised Training. 

That clarity has been shaped by a career spanning diverse settings—from Victoria’s goldfields to a small four-bed practice in Milton on the NSW South Coast, regional Western Australia, and his current role in Newcastle. 

Through it all, one direction has remained constant. 

“I know I want to be rural. “Throughout all my training, I’ve come to realise I’m strongest in pre-hospital and acute care,” he says, “and ACRRM training helps me do that and more. 

“The opportunities across Australia are huge. You can practise in diverse environments and be part of a community.” 

As he prepares to begin the RG program, he hopes his approach to the months leading in resonates with others about to take the same step. 

“This time before you start—it’s valuable,” he says. “Keep doing the things that challenge you and that you enjoy. It all adds up.” 

For Dr O’Dea, the journey to becoming a Rural Generalist doesn’t begin on day one of training. It’s already underway.