Dr Ashlea McCallum: From the Snowy Mountains to rural general practice
Growing up on a beef cattle farm in Khancoban in rural New South Wales – a town so small the entire school shared a classroom – Dr Ashlea McCallum learned early the value of community, connection and looking out for your own.
With two younger sisters, a vet-nurse mum, an electrician dad, and the Snowy Mountains at her doorstep, Ashlea’s childhood was shaped by river swims, long days outdoors, and a home where curiosity and learning were encouraged as fiercely as independence.
It was in the classrooms of high school teachers Cathy Ross and Lee Learmonth where the early spark for medicine first took hold.
Their shared enthusiasm for science and biology was contagious, and Ashlea found herself drawn deeper into the complexity of how people heal and how they’re cared for.
“I found myself becoming more and more fascinated with the human body in their classes,” Ashlea says.
But inspiration didn’t come from textbooks alone – it was also shaped behind the coffee machine and pub counter.
During university, Ashlea spent her days in the local café and her nights behind the bar, speaking with people of all ages, stories and backgrounds.
Those conversations – honest, warm, human – are what continue to shape her approach to medicine today.
“I found it very easy to talk to people of all walks of life and all ages,” she says. “I think that plays into wanting to be a GP and connecting with people.”
A rural path, with purpose
Ashlea, who won the GPRA prize giveaway at RMA25 in Perth, began her GP training this year with ACRRM through the AGPT program after completing her mandatory hospital rotations with Bendigo Health.
She’s currently based in Castlemaine in Victoria, working at Botanical Gardens Health as a Hospital Medical Officer – and next year, she’ll transition into a GP registrar role at the same clinic.
“I knew I wanted to work rurally in the long term, so general practice was a great option,” she says.
“I love the variety, the people you meet, and not doing shift work is a plus!”
What’s most rewarding, she says, is feeling valued by the people she serves.
In regional clinics, patients often know the doctor who’s caring for them – and they’re grateful.
“Quite a few people are so thankful that I’m coming to work in the clinic, and really hope that I stay and immerse myself into the community,” she says.
“Providing healthcare to rural communities who genuinely appreciate you is incredibly meaningful.”
The makings of a GP
When asked what makes someone suited to general practice, Ashlea gives a simple but telling answer: “Patience. Patience. Patience.”
Alongside it, she values knowing your limits, asking for help and remembering that medicine is a team effort.
“The buck doesn’t stop with you as the GP,” she says. “There are always people to reach out to for advice and a second opinion.”
Her future goals reflect that same grounded optimism. In 5–10 years, Ashlea hopes to be a FACRRM Fellow with Advanced Specialised Training (AST) in Palliative Care, possibly working back near her hometown where GP shortages are deeply felt.
“I’m not sure exactly where I’ll end up – but Corryong is always in the back of my mind.”
A training pathway strengthened by new incentives
As she prepares to move into community practice in 2026, Ashlea is entering GP training at a moment of genuine change – with the Government’s new GP Training Incentive Payments Policy coming into effect from Semester 1 next year.
It’s a shift she’s genuinely excited about.
“Yes, the GP training incentives are great,” she says. “It’s positive to see a step towards bridging the gap between specialist pathways.”
For Ashlea, the benefits are not abstract – they are life-changing.
The new parental leave scheme, in particular, brings enormous reassurance.
“I’m the higher income earner in my household, so I was quite concerned about how we were going to afford time for parental leave,” she says.
The introduction of paid study leave is another welcome step. “Being able to take paid time to study will be great,” she says.
These reforms, long advocated for by GPRA, will make a tangible difference not only to Ashlea’s journey but to the futures of GP registrars nationwide.
Why choose general practice?
For prevocational doctors considering their path, Ashlea is living proof that general practice opens doors – to community, variety, impact and a career built on relationships rather than rotations.
There may not be one stand-out moment that confirmed her calling, but there are dozens of small ones – the relief on a patient’s face, the gratitude from a family, the feeling of being trusted. Those are the moments that matter.
“I do enjoy the relief I see on patients and their families’ faces when I can help reassure or manage their illness appropriately,” she says.
As she steps into her GP registrar role next year, one thing is clear: Ashlea is not just beginning her career in general practice; she is joining it at a time of renewed optimism, stronger support and a future shaped by the very communities she hopes to serve.
