• Final-year Charles Sturt University medical student Dr Tabitha Jones has been named the 2026 Medical Student of the Year for NSW/ACT by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Excellence Awards
• Approximately seven million Australians living in rural and remote areas have poorer access to general practitioners (GPs) and poorer health outcomes compared to people living in big cities

A newly-awarded Charles Sturt University medical student said her journey into medicine was unconventional as an adult learner with an established career and two daughters ‘cheering her on from the sidelines’.

Charles Sturt School of Rural Medicine student Dr Tabitha Jones (pictured) from Grenfell NSW was named the 2026 NSW/ACT Medical Student of the Year at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Excellence Awards in Adelaide on Friday 23 October.

The award citation stipulates, ‘The student was awarded because they are highly engaged in their studies with a clear focus on becoming a Rural Generalist. They demonstrate strong commitment to training in rural and remote locations and show leadership by actively contributing to their community’.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates approximately seven million people (27 per cent of the Australian population) live in rural and remote areas. Relative to people living in metropolitan areas, they have poorer access to and use of general practitioners (GPs) and other primary health care services, and have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury, and poorer health outcomes.

Before studying medicine, Dr Jones worked in pharmacy and research.

“Just before starting my degree, I was with the Royal Flying Doctor Service during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to establish vaccination clinics across NSW to improve access for vulnerable and rural communities,” she said.

“That was the final moment that I really knew that I wanted to be able to serve communities as a doctor.”

Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Renée Leon congratulated Ms Jones as an exemplar of the next generation of high-quality medical professionals the University was equipping with the knowledge and experience to champion the health of rural, regional and remote communities.

“With her focus on rural generalist medicine, Tabitha is a shining example of the students we train with the skills they’ll need to work as a rural doctor,” Professor Leon said.

“Our students develop an understanding of the different role rural doctors play in primary and acute care settings and the ACCRM award highlights their importance in the functioning of our healthcare system.”

Dr Jones said she had wanted to be a doctor for as long as she can remember, but living in rural NSW and having no desire to leave, for years it felt like a dream that was out of reach.

“When Charles Sturt University opened the Doctor of Rural Medicine program in Orange, ‘just down the road’ from where I lived in Grenfell, everything changed,” she said.

“It was the moment I realised I could stop wishing and finally start chasing that big, scary dream. Looking back, it was one of the hardest but best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Dean of Rural Medicine and Head of the Charles Sturt School of Rural Medicine Professor Jacqueline Epps congratulated Tabitha and complimented her on her achievement and noted this is the second year-in-a-row that the Charles Sturt School of Rural Medicine has won the ACRRM NSW award.

“This award is a testament not only to Tabitha’s outstanding commitment and capability, but also to the vision of the Charles Sturt School of Rural Medicine,” Professor Epps said.

“Our program is designed to support students who are passionate about rural medicine and to prepare graduates who will make a lasting contribution to rural and regional communities.

“Seeing our students recognised at this level confirms that we are training outstanding future rural doctors, and helping to strengthen the rural and regional medical workforce for years to come.”

Dr Jones said Charles Sturt has made the impossible more possible for her.

“What excites me most about medicine is the people; every patient has a unique story, and it’s a privilege to be trusted during some of the most important moments of their lives,” she said.

“I also love that no two days are ever the same.”