Recently graduating from the Doctor of Medicine, Huda Dabash has spent most of her time with the University of Melbourne in rural settings.

Growing up in Gilgandra, NSW, Huda was exposed to healthcare her entire life, with her father being the town’s GP, she notes “from a young age, that was my exposure and experience of medicine in a regional area.”

Huda moved from Parkville to Ballarat in her second year of the Doctor of Medicine and preferenced to stay rural for the remainder of her degree, finishing her studies in Shepparton.

“This year I’ve been able to do both rural and metro rotations, as part of a new clinical scholar program. So I’ve been doing rotations at Austin Health, Northern Hospital and Mercy Hospital.

By doing these rotations I’m hoping it’ll help me decide what kind of career I want to pursue. It’s been such a mixed bag and I’m getting lots of exposure throughout.”

Huda notes some of her course highlights include “seeing my first birth. It’s a real privilege to have someone comfortable for you to be there in their most private and intimate moments.

And it’s just magical. On the same note, scrubbing into surgery is always a highlight. It’s really special when a consultant surgeon, someone who's super experienced, is teaching you right before you head into surgery.”

Huda had the opportunity to return metro at the end of her second year but elected to stay rural, expressing “I felt the environment was more supportive and I really liked being in a tight knit medical student community. The clinical school staff knew me personally and during a tough degree, it made all the difference.”

Huda graduated from the Doctor of Medicine in 2025 and will begin her medial internship.