With support from the Mt Burdett Foundation in Esperance, the Great Southern Health Professionals Network delivered the inaugural Early Career Health Summit in Bremer Bay in 2025.
The Summit brought together 20 early career health professionals from across the region for a dedicated weekend of professional development and interdisciplinary learning, reflecting the network’s ongoing commitment to supporting and retaining the region’s emerging workforce.
Set against bushland and coastal locations, participants took part in practical, scenario-based emergency response training facilitated by Dr Nick Martin, Dr Christine Oosterhuis and sports physiotherapist Paul Tucker, designed to reflect the realities of regional practice. Facilitators also drew on their own career journeys to speak to the resilience, adaptability and lifelong learning that regional healthcare demands.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees reporting greater confidence, valuable professional connections and stronger clinical skills. The success of the inaugural summit has laid a strong foundation for future events supporting the next generation of rural health professionals in the Great Southern.