Attracting and retaining young medicos and other healthcare professionals to the bush was the aim of an inaugural jobs expo held in the heart of Sydney last week.

The Rural Doctors Network’s (RDN) Rural Health Pathways Showcase at Darling Harbour attracted students from more than 60 “city” schools, with the long-term goal of “future-proofing” our rural health workforce.

At a time when chronic shortages of medical professionals in country Australia are the rule rather than the exception, the showcase focused on remote, rural and regional health career pathways for hundreds of state, independent and Catholic school students.

More than 1000 Year 9-12 pupils with an interest in allied health, medicine, nursing, midwifery and Aboriginal health were encouraged to “broaden their horizons” about careers in the bush at the event, RDN Future Workforce Manager Chris Russell said.

“RDN saw an opportunity to ‘bring the country to the city’, and ensure high school students in more urban areas know what’s on offer, all in one place so they can see it, try it and hopefully one day, do it,” Chris said.

“Fields of opportunity exist in healthcare well beyond the city skyline, and we need to make sure students are aware of these opportunities and how rewarding they can be,” he added.

Chris says that for many young people attending the showcase, this may have been their first encounter with what life and work in a rural setting could look like.

The RDN was gratified and surprised at how many metropolitan and country-based organisations got on board the innovative and novel event and helped bring it to life.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by how many students expressed an interest in exploring a health career beyond the metro map and highlighting all the amazing opportunities the country has to offer,” Chris said.

“We’re grateful to work alongside so many passionate organisations, universities, health workforce agencies and rural advocates to bring this idea to life. It is our hope this will be the first of many events like this going forward,” Chris said.

In trying to overcome the chronic rural health crisis, it’s a good idea to cast a wide net, he believes.

“RDN is hoping to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals to consider going rural. I encourage students to see how far your skills can take you... because you’ll take them to communities who value it most,” he concluded.

Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) Chief Medical Officer Dr Shannon Nott, keynote speaker at the event, said that expos and similar innovative promotions are vital for the future or rural medicine.

“We need to inspire more generations in the years to come, and events like this are vital to being able to do just that,” he concluded.