Life as a Rural GP in Australia: Why I Feel Like a Rock Star

“I feel like a rock star.”

That’s how Dr. Bjarte (Bj) Sorensen, a rural GP working with DNA Healthcare, describes his experience flying into remote towns across South Australia.

While city-based doctors may have the comfort of large practices and specialist networks on hand, rural GPs step into a very different role, often the only doctor in town, carrying the responsibility for everything from ear infections to emergency trauma.

It’s not a life for everyone, but for BJ, it’s an energising mix of challenge, adventure, and connection that makes him glad he chose it.

 

From Norway to the Outback

Dr. Sorensen’s story began in a small Norwegian farm town where access to healthcare was already an uphill climb.

“We lived two and a half hours away from the nearest city. If you needed care, you relied heavily on the local GP. That experience shaped my view of medicine before I’d even decided on a career.”

When he earned a scholarship to study at the University of New South Wales, Australia became his second home. He loved the diversity and lifestyle, but also quickly saw the contrasts between city-based medicine and the unique challenges of rural practice.

Years later, after moving and working between both Norway and Australia, he and his family felt the pull of rural Australia again. “Australia was always in my heart. I remembered it as a place where I could fit in, even if I wasn’t the same as everyone else. The sense of belonging here is something special.”

 

 

The Reality of Rural Practice

Life as a rural GP isn’t always predictable. Dr. Sorensen describes himself as “the only doctor in town,” meaning he’s the first call for almost anything medical – sometimes life-or-death situations.

“Nothing bypasses the local GP in rural towns. We deal with everything. The emergencies, the decisions about retrievals. The stakes are higher here than in the city,” he explains.

That higher level of responsibility is both daunting and rewarding. Rural GPs in Australia often serve as the community’s main healthcare provider, a reality that reflects the national shortage of doctors outside metropolitan areas.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners reports that outer regional, remote and very remote communities have just 274 doctors per 100,000 people, compared to 433 per 100,000 in major cities. It’s no wonder small towns sometimes resort to extraordinary measures: Julia Creek in Queensland recently offered nearly $680,000 a year plus free rent and a car in a bid to secure a GP.

For Dr. Sorensen, this pressure comes with perspective: “If you want a job where every day is predictable, rural GP work probably isn’t for you. But I thrive on the variety. I enjoy being thrown from one thing to another.”

 

Connection Beyond the Clinic

What surprises many doctors is how deeply embedded they become in the communities they serve. Dr. Sorensen describes how patients often become friends, or at the very least, familiar faces he runs into outside of work.

“I think some doctors worry about mixing personal and professional life, but in small towns, it’s unavoidable. You might see someone in the clinic in the morning, then bump into them at a school event or even go opal mining with them later,” he laughs.

That closeness brings real rewards.

“People are genuinely grateful that you’re there. They’ll thank you for listening, for showing up, for being part of their lives. That kind of gratitude is something you don’t always get in a metro practice.”

 

Why Face-to-Face in Rural Towns Still Matters

In an age where telehealth is expanding access, Dr. Sorensen believes strongly in the irreplaceable value of in-person consultations.

“You can pick up subtle cues face-to-face. Whether it’s a symptom or just a sense that something’s off. Sometimes you ask a simple ‘How have you been?’ and a patient opens up about suicidal thoughts or family struggles. I don’t think that always happens over a screen,” he says.

Telehealth is valuable for many cases, but research supports his view: a 2023 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report found that while telehealth use surged during COVID, patients in rural areas still prefer face-to-face appointments for complex or sensitive issues, reflecting the importance of presence and trust in care.

 

The Challenges Nobody Talks About

Rural GP life isn’t without its hurdles. The biggest one Dr. Sorensen points to is family. “Schools and opportunities for kids can be limited, and that’s something you can’t ignore. For us, the solution has been living in Adelaide but using a fly-in fly-out model.”

That model, working intensively for two weeks and then spending two weeks at homem has given him more balance than he expected.

“My wife says she sees more of me now than when we lived in a small town in Norway. I’m either all in at work, or all in at home. It’s made our family life better.”

Still, not every doctor can (or wants to) make that trade-off.

“I wouldn’t want my teenage children to go to school in some of the places I work. That’s just the reality,” he admits.

 

The Lifestyle Benefits

Despite the challenges, Dr. Sorensen finds that rural GP work offers unique lifestyle rewards. Financially, he’s not necessarily making more than he would in the city, but the flexibility makes the difference.

“I can step away for a few weeks to visit family overseas without worrying that I’m leaving a whole patient load behind. That’s liberating after years of carrying that burden in a permanent practice.”

Outside of medicine, he’s also now able to find the time to pursue personal passions.

“I’m studying architecture part-time and even go opal mining with friends I’ve met on placement in Coober Pedy. It’s not what I expected.”

 

 

The DNA Difference

Behind the scenes, Dr. Sorensen credits DNA Healthcare with making his rural locum work possible.

“Eamon and the team organise everything – flights, cars, accommodation, payroll. I just get an itinerary that tells me where to go. It really does make me feel like a rock star,” he laughs.

But more importantly, it’s the way DNA connects him to supportive workplaces.

“The nurses, receptionists, and practice staff welcome me like part of the team. If you treat people with respect and show you’re there to contribute, they treat you the same. That makes all the difference.”

 

Who Could Thrive in This Role?

Dr. Sorensen is the first to say this career path isn’t for everyone. It requires resilience, adaptability and the confidence to make decisions when you’re the only doctor in town.

“It probably wouldn’t suit someone straight out of med school. But I’ve met brilliant young doctors who really ‘get it.’ It’s about mindset more than years of experience,” he says.

Rural GP work in Australia is a mix of challenges and opportunities. It asks a lot of doctors, but it also gives back in ways many don’t expect.

As he reflects: “It’s not always easy, but when you embrace it, the medicine, the people, even the lifestyle quirks, it really does feel like something special.”

And sometimes, it even feels like being a rock star.