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Dr Lucy Lloyd-Morgan has always cared about regional and rural healthcare; in fact, you could say that passion is part of her DNA.
Dr Lloyd-Morgan is following in the footsteps of her father Dr Tim Lloyd-Morgan, a doctor at Tara Hospital, as she begins her medical graduate program with Darling Downs Health in 2025.
She is one of 64 medical interns beginning their 12-month graduate programs across urban, rural, and remote medical locations within Darling Downs Health this year.
Dr (Lucy) Lloyd-Morgan, who is also part of the Rural Generalist Program, said she was thrilled to continue exploring her passion for rural and remote health care, having spent much of her childhood around Childers and Bundaberg hospitals with her dad, before the family moved to Tara when she was 15.
“I've sort of grown up around medicine and always had that as an aspiration of mine; I've always known I want to be rural and stay rural,” Dr Lloyd-Morgan said.
“I think what really solidified this career path for me was gaining a deeper understanding of how much of an advocate we can be for patients.
“For me, the driving factor was really the human element of getting to help patients at some of the most vulnerable times in their life and getting to come in and be an advocate for them, particularly in the rural space,” she said.
Dr Lloyd-Morgan is particularly looking forward to gaining experience in Paediatrics and Critical Care pathways, particularly in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health while in the Darling Downs Health graduate program.
The Darling Downs region is a change of pace for self-confessed “metro girl” Dr Nantheka “Nanthy” Nandakumaran, who grew up in Sydney and moved to Brisbane for university.
Dr Nandakumaran opted to complete her internship with Darling Downs Health after a positive experience as a student at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Rural Clinical School in Toowoomba.
“Everyone at the Toowoomba Hospital has been so welcoming – the community here, the colleagues, the staff, my peers – everyone has just been so supportive,” Dr Nandakumaran said.
“I was always drawn to sciences and biology at school, and I was drawn towards healthcare from a young age. I think medicine particularly intrigued me because of the diagnostic element, and it felt sort of like detective work at times.
“And the patients are a huge part of it; the more that I get through my degree, the more that I'm falling in love with it.”
Dr Nandakumaran said she was most looking forward to her rotations in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics.
Health Service Chief Executive, Annette Scott PSM, said Darling Downs Health was pleased to be working with the 2025 medical interns to achieve great outcomes for the region.
“It's such an exciting time of growth and opportunity - not only for the interns themselves, but also for our organisation and our communities as we say hello to all these new faces,”
Health Service Chief Executive, Annette Scott PSM
“At a time when regional doctor shortages are continuing to impact all of Australia, it is so heartening to know that these graduates chose Darling Downs Health to further their medical careers.
“Our 2025 cohort is made up of doctors from a range of different backgrounds and with a range of different specialty interests, but the one thing they all have in common is their passion for providing outstanding healthcare to regional and rural communities.”