qualifications: FACRRM
contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision
position: PhD, Professor and Director
Australia
qualifications: MFamMed, FCFP(SA)
contribution: Study conception and design, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting of manuscript, Critical revision
position: Professor and Director
South Africa
Professor Ian Couper is Director of the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health and Professor of Rural Health at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. A trained family physician, he spent nine years practising in a remote rural hospital in northern KwaZuluNatal province, and then 16 years working in primary care and health service development in rural North West province. He held the first chair of rural health at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). He has chaired both the Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (RuDASA) and the Wonca Working Party on Rural Practice (WONCA Rural).
qualifications: FACRRM, DRANZCOG adv
contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Critical revision
position: Adjunct Professor
Australia
Role and profile Associate Professor Ruth Stewart MBBS (Uni Melb 1985), FACRRM, DRANZCOG Dr Ruth Stewart is the Director of Rural Clinical Training and Support, Associate Professor of Rural Medicine at James Cook University School of Medicine, Australia. She works clinically at Mareeba Hospital in far north Queensland as a Senior Medical Officer, is a Director of Rural Generalist Training with the Queensland Rural Generalist Program and is a member of the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service board. Ruth worked for twenty-two years as a procedural GP in South West Victoria, Australia. And between 2008 and 2012 she worked with Deakin University where she developed and implemented the Integrated Model of Medical Education in Rural Settings (Deakin IMMERSe) for Deakin University. In December 2013 Ruth was awarded a PhD by Flinders University Faculty of Health Sciences for her thesis "Lessons from the development of a maternity managed clinical network in a low Volume rural context" Teaching Responsibilities Associate Professor Stewart is the academic lead for the Rural Internship rotation at James Cook University College of Medicine and oversees all rural placements at JCU. She is also course director for the Masters of Rural and Remote Medicine post-graduate course at JCU Research Interests Ruth's research interests are rural maternity care and policy, rural health service and rural medical education.
qualifications: MBBS, FACRRM
contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Critical revision
position: Censor in Chief
qualifications: CCFP, FCFP, FRRMS
contribution: Study conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Critical revision
position: Professor
NRHA 36th Rural Health Policy Institute, 11–13 February 2025, Washington, DC, USA
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RWAV Conference 2025: Dreaming Big and Driving Change in Rural Healthcare, 19–21 February 2025, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
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2025 European Forum on Prevention and Primary Care, 5 & 6 March 2025, Zagreb, Croatia
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WONCA South Asia Region Conference 2025, 4–6 April 2025, Bengaluru, India
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9th European Young Family Doctors' Movement (EYFDM Forum), 25–27 April 2025, Grande Région
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WONCA Asia Pacific Region Conference 2025: Primary Care Transformation; Implementing High-value, High-quality Care!, 24–27 April 2025, Busan Korea
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National Rural Health Conference 2025, 2–3 May 2025, Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand
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NRHA 30th Health Equity Conference, 19–20 May 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA
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NRHA 48th Annual Rural Health Conference, 20–23 May 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA
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2025 International Rural Nursing Conference, 27–30 May 2025, Arlington, TX, USA
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BC Rural Health Conference 2025, 6–8 June 2025, Prince George, BC, Canada
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4th International Indigenous Health & Wellbeing Conference 2025, 16–19 June 2025, Adelaide Convention Centre, Kaurna Country, Australia
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14th EURIPA Rural Health Forum. Rural Reformation: Meeting Wellbeing and Healthcare Needs in Rural Communities, 26–28 June 2025, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
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Rethinking Remote 2025: Scotland's Rural Health Conference
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WONCA World Conference 2025: New Vision for Primary Health Care and Sustainable Development, 17–21 September 2025, Lisbon, Portugal
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NRHA 23rd Rural Health Clinic Conference, 23–24 September 2025, Kansas, MO, USA
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Rural Mental Health Conference 2025 (RMHC25), 5–7 November 2025, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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4th EURACT Medical Education Conference, 23–25 April 2026, Iasi, Romania
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9th WONCA Africa Region Conference 2026, 10 & 11 September 2026, Gaborone, Botswana
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18th National Rural Health Conference, 14–17 September 2026, Adelaide, SA, Australia