Sydney to Armidale: How going bush is bringing big rewards for university students

Growing up in Sydney, Bonnie Hong can’t recall encountering anyone from regional Australia. Yet, from a young age, the unique challenges of rural living interested her. “Being a city dweller all this time, I wanted to find out,” she says.

After high school, Hong started a computer science degree at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), before switching to a bachelor of oral health and therapy in Wagga Wagga. After the contrasting experiences confirmed to her that regional tertiary studies suited her disposition, she swapped dentistry for medicine at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale.

“Moving from metropolitan to regional was a bit of a shift, but for me, it was very exciting,” says Hong.

“It gave me an opportunity to spread my wings.”

Now a second-year medical student, Hong speaks highly of her UNE experience. She feels more mature, growth-focused, and independent. She highlights the benefits of being part of a significantly smaller cohort compared to metropolitan universities.

“You’re not just a number – pretty much everyone knows you by name, you know everyone in the cohort. The staff members know you and take care of you. The learning is a lot more enriching, more well-rounded and holistic. That feels unique,” says Hong.

Taking up the challenge

Adam Nguyen admits he had no concept of regional Australia whatsoever when he finished high school; had he been told Armidale was in Western Australia he would have believed it. He wanted to study medicine and knew how competitive that is, especially in Sydney.

“I got into the UNE medical program in Armidale, and I was like, ‘You know what, I don’t even know where that is, but I’m going there!’”

His experience echoes Hong’s, of being part of a close-knit university community. The initial nerves he felt about making a major geographic change, particularly as a migrant and queer person, soon dissipated amidst a wave of support.

“There is a community of people like me in college,” says Nguyen. “There was already an established community of queer students doing a variety of courses. They all had a really beautiful culture; very neuro-diverse-friendly, very queer-friendly. They accepted me as their own; I felt safe and protected,” he adds.

Friends attending university in Sydney report travelling an hour each way and heading straight home after class. Hong and Nguyen, who both live at Mary White College at UNE, speak of an environment where medical students from senior to junior ranks readily cross paths and share experiences. “It’s really wonderful and rare,” says Nguyen.

Underscoring their sense of belonging and eagerness to contribute to college life, Hong is a residential leader at Mary White and Nguyen an academic mentor, connecting senior and junior students with twice-weekly gatherings that combine study and social interaction.

“You break that bubble and get people talking to each other,” says Nguyen.

Collegiality and support fire imagination

Regional Universities Network CEO Alec Webb says the more personalised experience of rural tertiary studies is a powerful drawcard.

Having worked in both regional and metropolitan university settings, he believes there is no comparison when it comes to connection.

“What immediately struck me as different, at a regional university the executives are known and seen,” says Webb. “You go to the coffee cart at UNE and the vice-chancellor is in line getting his cup of coffee and having a chat with students. That just doesn’t happen in Melbourne or Sydney.”

Webb points to government-endorsed data from regular Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) surveys. These surveys indicate that graduates from regional universities not only report higher satisfaction rates than their metro counterparts, but also higher starting salaries as they enter the workforce.

Webb points to the flow-on effect of students staying in the regions to work, “which is a vital aspect of providing the workforce for regional Australia.”

Hong is a strong advocate for regional healthcare. She has experienced first-hand how hard it can be to see a doctor in regional Australia, either for illness or for vaccinations needed to take part in placements. During the latter, she has been inspired by the rapport between rural GPs and their patients.

It’s left her determined to help make a difference.

“I think I’ll be practising regionally,” says Hong. “I’m going to look into rural generalism where you are a GP with specialties on the side like paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology or a bit of surgery.

“I really like Wagga. Tamworth is great. I’ve seen Taree which is fantastic, too. I’m keen to see where this adventure takes me.”

For more information, visit www.une.edu.au.