As I stand at the threshold of the final stage of my psychiatry training, I find myself reflecting on the four years since I crossed the Great Dividing Range. Moving from the saltwater country of the South Coast of NSW, leaving the rhythm of the tides and the immediate embrace of my family to the inland plains of Wiradjuri and Dhudhuroa Country to begin my internship at Albury Wodonga Health was one of the most daunting yet exciting transitions of my life.
Yet, as I look back on this journey from medical school to internship to rural psychiatry registrar training at Albury Wodonga Health, I realize that moving inland didn't mean losing my connection to Country; it meant expanding it.
Honeymoon Bay in Jervis Bay Booderee National Park “Bay of Plenty” Yuin Country
The Clinical Journey: Meeting the Standards
Looking back, the diversity of my training has been the foundation of my growth. I have successfully navigated the rigorous RANZCP Fellowship program requirements, completing Stage 1 and Stage 2.
My progression was sustained by a dedicated Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) Rural Training Program featuring one hour of formal clinical supervision per week and an additional four hours per week of direct supervision within the clinical setting, and a regular protected registrar training program including 5 hours of training leave per week, ensuring high-level guidance despite our regional location.
I have been able to complete rurally the mandatory college requirements such as Observed Clinical Assessments (OCAs) and a minimum of two Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) per rotation and have successfully completed the HETI 3-year formal Postgraduate Course in Psychiatry.
This year I will also be submitting my research paper, the psychotherapy written case, and undertaking the college multiple choice examination, which are all a part of the requirements for fellowship with RANZCP. All of which I have been able to complete in a rural training setting.
My journey through the sub-specialties included:
- 12 months of Adult Inpatient Psychiatry (Nolan House & Kerferd): Mastering acute inpatient care and crisis stabilization.
- 6 months at ICYMHS: Focusing on the unique developmental needs of children and adolescents.
- 3 months with the Youth Early Intervention Team (YEIT): Targeted work in early psychosis and emerging disorders.
- 9 months in Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatry: Bridging the gap between physical medicine and mental health.
- 6 months in Adult Community Mental Health: Delivering long-term recovery-oriented care in the community.
A Supported Path
I did not walk this path alone. My journey has been bolstered by a network of support that understands the unique challenges of being an Indigenous doctor in a regional rural setting. Most of this applies for all RANZCP psychiatry registrars except for my support from Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) and the NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN).
- Completing the RANZCP Rural Psychiatry Training Program at Albury Wodonga Health has provided the specific clinical framework needed to address the mental health disparities in our regional communities, turning the challenge of "distance" into an opportunity for innovation.
- The RANZCP Mentoring Program has provided me with a mentor who is a psychiatry consultant that I meet virtually every couple of weeks to discuss not only my training experiences but life in general.
- As an NSW RDN cadetship alumnus, I was given financial support as a medical student with a legal arrangement to work west of the Great Dividing Range for two years. I fell in love with the region, my colleagues, the work and the training program and am still here at Albury Wodonga Health having just entered my fifth year as a doctor.
- The AIDA Specialist Trainee Support Program (STSP) has been a cultural anchor, ensuring that as I navigate the Western medical system, my identity as an Indigenous person remains central to my practice.
The Benefits and Challenges of Rural Training
Training in a rural setting like Albury-Wodonga offers a breadth of clinical experience rarely found in metropolitan centres. You develop greater autonomy, take on more responsibility across a diverse patient mix, and work within close-knit multidisciplinary teams.
However, rural training does come with some perceived limitations, such as professional isolation and the "tyranny of distance" from major academic centres, these limitations are overcome through the robust supported pathways at Albury Wodonga Health and the RANZCP.
In my experience, these limitations are overcome through:
- Strong Support Networks: Leveraging programs like the AIDA Specialist Trainee Support Program (STSP) for indigenous doctors and the RANZCP Rural Psychiatry Training Program and their Mentorship Program for all trainees, which provide cultural anchors, clinical mentorship, and clinical support and training specific for rural trainees.
- Technological Integration: Using digital innovation and telehealth to bridge gaps in specialist access while maintaining local continuity of care.
- Community Connection: Establishing deep roots in the community, which fosters a sense of worth and "making a difference" that is vital for long-term retention.
Support Through the Hardest Times
This journey has not been without its deep personal challenges. In July last year, I experienced the profound loss of my father. Navigating "Sorry Business" while in the middle of specialist training could have been overwhelming, but the support I received from Albury Wodonga Health was exceptional.
They didn't just provide leave; they provided space for cultural obligations and grieving, demonstrating a true commitment to a culturally safe and a supportive workforce. This experience reinforced my belief that to care for others' mental health, we must first be in an environment that respects our own wellbeing and cultural protocols.
The Healing Power of the Inland
While I will always miss the sea and I do travel back to Yuin country to see my “mob” (family) regularly, the Victorian High Country has offered a different kind of medicine. There is a unique stillness in the mountains and a power in the freshwater systems of the Murray that I hadn't expected. Taking up freshwater fishing and camping inland has become my clinical "reset."
The patience required to fish the rivers and the clarity found under a clear inland night sky have taught me more about mindfulness and presence than any textbook. These moments of quiet reflection and recharge are what sustain me through the complexities of rural psychiatric practice and training.
Mitta Mitta Victorian High Country – “Where reeds grow” Dhudhuroa and Yaitmathang Country
Advocacy and the Future – RANZCP Rural Champion
I am incredibly honoured to have been recently offered the position of a RANZCP Rural Psychiatry Champion, a role that allows me to represent the College and to advocate for the future of our rural workforce. My time inland has also ignited a passion for advocacy in particular Indigenous health, rural health, rural mental health, and rural medical specialist training pathways.
In 2026, the role of a RANZCP Rural Registrar Champion serves as a vital bridge between the College and trainees practicing in regional, rural, and remote areas. As part of the Rural Psychiatry Training Pathways (RPTP) initiative, I have been tasked with driving a culture change across the RANZCP membership.
Key Responsibilities
- Advocacy and Representation: Acting as a visible representative for the Rural Psychiatry Training Pathways Roadmap 2021–31, ensuring the needs of rural trainees are reflected in College policy.
- Culture Change: Promoting a positive "rural and generalist" Fellowship culture, showcasing that training outside metropolitan centres is a fulfilling and high-value career choice.
- Peer Mentorship: Encouraging medical students and junior doctors to choose and complete their entire specialist training in rural locations to build a sustainable workforce.
- Collaboration: Working alongside senior inaugural Rural Champions, such as Associate Professor Ravi Bhat AM, to achieve Roadmap deliverables related to equitable access to psychiatric care.
This championship role is part of a larger 2026 effort to address the 20.7% projected undersupply of psychiatrists by 2048 by fostering community connection as a motivator for trainees to stay in the these regions.
I want to show not only Indigenous medical students and doctors but all medical students and junior doctors that moving "off-Country" or moving from metropolitan areas for a time isn’t an abandonment of your roots, it is a way to gather new tools to bring back to communities or as many people do, fall in love with the rural area where you train, make connections in the community, build a life there, and provide a valuable service to the rural region you call home.
Lastly, to those considering the move: the mountains are waiting, the rivers are full, and the need for our voices in the bush has never been greater. You won’t regret it.
“Walawanni njiniwan”
“Safe Travels to you all”
Dr Chris Henry
Indigenous Psychiatry Registrar
Albury Wodonga Health