Associate Professor Ravi Bhat AM is an inaugural Rural Champion, representing Monash Modified Model (MMM) regions 2–5.

1. Did you always know you wanted to become a doctor? Tell us how this came to be.

I had not thought of becoming a doctor. I did what many a young person of my generation was likely to do in India – listen to my parents – and went on to study medicine. 

2. What inspired you to choose psychiatry as a specialisation?

I am afraid I have no inspirational story here. During my intern year, I had figured out the specialties that I was not keen on. I thought I should give psychiatry a go before I tried some other sort of work. A doctor in my family suggested that I go and meet her cousin who was a psychiatrist working in Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India. I did so, and I found both my calling and my partner! CMC was a great place to start training in psychiatry. People came from afar seeking help. Those who required inpatient care were ‘admitted’ to the unit, located in a sylvan setting, with at least one family member. We learnt to work with them as part of a well-established multidisciplinary team. 

3. Between your 2023 Order of Australia appointment, your other service awards, and your current PhD pursuit, what single career highlight is permanently etched in your memory?

When the first two trainees completed their entire RANZCP training in Goulburn Valley (GV) Health. The sense of achievement went further when they both decided to join the service as Consultant Psychiatrists. 

4. If you were talking with a RANZCP trainee or Fellow who was contemplating moving to a rural location, how would you convince them that it would be a great decision?

Training or working in a rural location offers balance and connection. Since it much less likely that you will be commuting a couple of hours or more to and from work each day, you will get more time, which will provide a better balance between your professional and personal life. You will have a deeper connection to others and to the country. These go long way in becoming a good psychiatrist. 

Associate Professor Bhat AM moved to Shepparton, Victoria, from India in 1999 with his family. Initially hesitant to take up the position of consultant psychiatrist at Goulburn Valley Health, he said it was the local community that eased the transition for him and his young family.

“The community here has been extraordinarily kind; in the first year here, we experienced many acts of generosity from complete strangers,” Associate Professor Bhat AM said.

“I appreciate the connections that I’ve made since moving to the region. Being a part of a strong, supportive community is what motivates me the most, both personally and professionally,” he said.

Through his work, Associate Professor Ravi Bhat AM contributes significantly to the profession. This is evident through extensive research undertaken in delirium in older adults, suicide and mental health service delivery in rural areas. 

“There is a big disparity in terms of the impact on people’s lives with mental health illness and the availability of helping professionals,” he said.

“The experience trainees have in a rural location is vastly different to a city-based rotation. It is vital that medical students and junior doctors have the opportunity to experience and complete their entire training in a rural location. Strong community connections help shape their experience, and this encourages trainees to stay in a rural area. The flow-on effect is a sustainable rural workforce,” he said.

Rural Champions is a RANZCP Rural Psychiatry Training Pathways initiative, that seeks to create and promote a positive rural and generalist Fellowship culture across the RANZCP membership.