UNE pilot program keeps future doctors local | The Armidale Express

armidaleexpress.com.au · Feb 17, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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The Regional Health Professional Pathway (RHPP) is a pathway offers nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and physiotherapists, who have worked for at least two years in the Hunter New England Local Health District,When Jess Lockwood was a child, she idolised her mother, a nurse at Tenterfield District Hospital.Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingAll articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperAll other in your area"I have so many memories from Tenterfield Hospital I could talk about, but I think the main one is just actually idolising what my mum did at the hospital."I grew up in a hospital, that's certainly what it feels like, having spent the amount of time I did there watching my mum work."Since then, medicine has been a part of my life."The field of medicine is one constant in Ms Lockwood's life, along with family and her hometown.A new pilot program implemented by the University of New England is empowering eight students like Ms Lockwood to fulfil their dreams of becoming doctors, while allowing them to stay and serve the communities they love.Jess Lockwood, who will be one of the first students in the UNE Regional Health Professional Pathway. Pic Heath Forsyth"I'm such a country girl through and through," she said."I love going away on holidays, and I love going to the big cities, but I always love getting home to my farm, and just being surrounded by people I know, and who are like-minded."I have family in Tenterfield. To be honest, every time I considered moving away to study medicine in Sydney or Newcastle i could never justify it. Home is where the heart is, as they say."Ms Lockwood is one of eight UNE students setting out on their academic careers in medicine.The UNE's Regional Health Professional Pathway (RHPP) offers nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and physiotherapists who have worked for at least two years in the Hunter New England Local Health District, a structured entry into the JMP.UNE PathwayThe Joint Medical Program is a partnership between UNE and the University of Newcastle that delivers the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD-JMP) degree, with the UNE partnership focused on training doctors specifically for rural and regional practice.The additional places are part of the Australian Government's Building the GP Workforce initiative. A second stream will offer an extra 50 places nationally from 2028, bringing the total to 150 additional medical places per year.Professor Michelle Guppy, head of UNE's School of Rural Medicine, said regional communities need more doctors who not only train here but stay here."The students we've admitted into the program are already working as health professionals in the New England region."The plan is that they can stay and live in those rural communities, learning remotely and then come to Armidale for some of the hands-on learning that they need to do."The aim is that when they graduate, there'll be a pathway for them to stay and train and become doctors in this region."The RHPP is a joint medical program with the University of Newcastle and the Hunter New England Local Health District. "We've been planning this for a couple of years, with input from our university partner and our health service department, Ms Guppy said."It's been a big effort to plan how to deliver medical training to people remotely."Previously, people had to relocate to metro areas to do all of their training, and the plan for this is that the students can complete their medical training in this region. We know if people can set up their lives here and their families are here and they can do all their medical training here, they're more likely to stay."For Ms Lockwood, meeting her fellow students with whom she will be sharing classes throughout her academic journey is a dream come true."I honestly never thought I would see the day I got to walk in my mother's shoes all those years ago," she said.DailyYour morning newsToday's top stories curated by our news team.