Supporting Regional, Rural, and Remote Physicians

We support physicians and communities across Regional, Rural, and Remote (RRR) Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We're committed to improving health equity by strengthening the RRR Physician workforce.

We help physicians at all career stages advocate for health systems that meet the needs of communities outside metropolitan centres.

Our work combines:

• strategy (PDF)
• advocacy
• training
• member insights

This ensures high-quality, sustainable care, regardless of geography.

Why RRR health matters

Where people live has a significant impact on their health outcomes.

Communities in RRR areas experience: 

• Higher burden of disease
• Reduced access to specialist services
• Ongoing workforce challenges

We have a responsibility to support our members and advocate for policies, training pathways, and workforce models that recognise the realities of RRR practice.

Our strategic priorities

Our RRR work is guided by the Regional, Rural, and Remote Physician Strategy (PDF). It focuses on practical actions that support RRR Physicians and improve health outcomes across non-metropolitan settings.

Key focus areas:

• Prioritising RRR healthcare at the RACP — to ensure that the needs of RRR communities and physicians are embedded in the College’s strategic thinking, planning, and decision-making processes.
  
  
• Building capacity and capability to provide physician training in RRR areas — to expand and enhance training opportunities and settings in non-metropolitan areas to enable physicians and trainees to build experience, skills, and professional networks outside urban centres.
  
  
• Improving the attraction and retention of RRR physicians  —to address barriers and enhance incentives to attract physicians to RRR practice and retain them through career development, professional support, and workforce planning..
  
  
• Collaborating to improve regional, rural, and remote healthcare provision — to strengthen partnerships with governments, health services, employers, communities, and other stakeholders to improve service delivery, support systems, and workforce integration in RRR settings.


• Respecting, promoting, and acknowledging Indigenous peoples — to recognise specific health needs and inequities of Indigenous populations in RRR areas, and embedding respect, inclusion, and cultural awareness in workforce training, engagement, and service design.

From strategy to action

The Strategy informs:

• Advocacy and policy submissions
• Workforce and training initiatives
• Advice to governments, jurisdictions, and external stakeholders
• Internal College decision-making and program design.

This ensures that RRR perspectives are integrated, not treated as add-on to College activities.

Principles guiding our strategy (Ostini, O’Sullivan & Strasser, 2021)

1. Grow your own “connected to” place.
2. Select trainees invested in rural practice.
3. Ground training in community need.
4. Rural immersion—not exposure.
5. Optimise and invest in general medicine.
6. Include service and academic learning components.
7. Join up the steps in rural training.
8. Plan sustainable specialist roles.

When citing these principles, the following citation is to be used:

Ostini R, O’Sullivan B, Strasser S. Principles to guide training and professional support for a sustainable rural specialist physician workforce. Med J Aust 2021; 215 (1 Suppl): S29–S33.

The Strategy will be reviewed and refreshed over time to respond to emerging workforce, training, and system challenges.

Read the full Regional, Rural, and Remote Physician Strategy. (PDF)

How members shape this work

Member insights and lived experiences are central to the RRR work.

Physicians contribute their knowledge and perspectives through:

• Targeted advice and consultation
• Feedback on the College's initiatives and documents
• Participation in flexible engagement opportunities
• Sharing lived experience of practice across diverse settings.

This input helps ensure that College positions, advocacy, and programs reflect the realities of RRR practice and support meaningful, practical change.

RRR Physician Special Interest Group

The Regional, Rural, and Remote Physician Special Interest Group (PDF) provides a flexible way for members to contribute.

The Special Interest Group (SIG) is an open, non-committee network for our members to share experience, provide advice, and inform College initiatives related to RRR healthcare. There are no fixed meetings or standing commitments and members contribute on an interest-based, as-needed basis.

What makes this Special Interest Group different?

• It's not a committee
• There are no fixed meeting schedules
• There's no ongoing workload
• Contributions are flexible, opt-in, and interest based.

Who can join?

The Special Interest Group is open to all RACP members, including:

• Fellows and trainees
• Members currently involved in College activities and those who are not
• Members with lived experience of RRR practice
• Members with a strong interest in improving health equity and access.

There is no limit on membership.

Expressions of interest are welcomed on an ongoing basis.

Join the group

Resources

• Ostini R, O’Sullivan B, Strasser S. Principles to guide training and professional support for a sustainable rural specialist physician workforce (PDF). Med J Aust 2021; 215 (1 Suppl): S29–S33. 
• RACP Member Statistics and Insights reports (PDF) – requires login