Dr Scott says his first senior medical role on Thursday Island is `still probably the best job I’ve ever had’. Photo: Supplied.
A doctor whose first senior role was on Thursday Island has been honoured at the 2025 National Rural and Remote Health Awards.
Dr Andrew Scott was named Rural/Remote Health Professional of the Year at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday night, 5 November.
Dr Scott said the commitment to providing top-of-scope care in rural communities was what helped him get out of bed each morning.
“I really love my job and feel very privileged to provide care in many different settings such as emergency, primary care, obstetrics, endoscopy and surgery,” he said.
Now servicing patients across Central Queensland, Dr Scott worked extensively as a rural generalist in the Torres Straits during his first four years in the position.
“My first senior medical role was on Thursday Island (TI) and it was still probably the best job I’ve ever had,” he said.
“I had done my pre-vocational years and two-and-a-half years of surgery and set up an endoscopy service on TI.
“I just loved the First Nations care, looking after Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal patients and some cross-border medicine with our southern Papua New Guinean patients.”
He described the experience as “rich with opportunity, culture and a chance to make a real meaningful impact and practise top-of-the-scope medicine”.
His work on Thursday Island now informs how he practises culturally safe care today.
“It gave me a deeper understanding of people’s connection to land and the challenges they’ve faced intergenerationally, but also currently,” he said.
“It just gave me such a huge respect and a desire to provide great culturally sensitive patient-centred care to them [community members] because we do a horrendous job sometimes of understanding their world.”
Dr Scott described being named 2025 Rural/Remote Health Professional of the Year as “an unexpected surprise and honour”.
“It’s a really huge thing to be a part of and very generous that my colleagues, my peers, took the time to nominate me.
“I’ve been so lucky to have support from everybody, be it admin, nurses, fellow doctors, supervisors, mentors and executives, each step of the way to achieve the things we have in terms of getting patients better care, innovating and being clinically courageous.”
National Rural Health Commissioner, Professor Jenny May AM, joined more than 180 guests to honour the winners and celebrate the 30 finalists across 10 award categories and the contribution, innovation and dedication they make to the health of their local communities.
“It is an honour to be here to recognise the important work being done to build high-quality health access for remote and rural Australians and celebrate the rural, remote and First Nations health professionals and organisations on a national stage,” Professor May said.
The National Rural and Remote Health Awards were launched by Rural Health Pro in 2023 and celebrate the extraordinary efforts of health professionals and organisations serving remote and rural communities around Australia.
Dr Scott now regularly travels in his role between Rockhampton, Emerald, Gladstone and hopefully soon, Biloela, where he has been advocating for the return of birthing services. Photo: Supplied.
