AMAQ Brings Junior Doctors Conference to Mackay

Mackay’s growing reputation as a centre for advanced regional medicine and research will be on show when junior doctors and medical students from across Queensland gather for the 2026 Junior Doctors Conference this July. 

The two-day event, to be held at the Mantra Mackay on July 25 and 26, will showcase the professional and lifestyle opportunities available in regional practice while connecting attendees with senior clinicians and peers from across the state. 

JCU’s Research Lead at Mackay Clinical School and Intensive Care Medicine specialist, Associate Professor Eamon Raith, said bringing the conference to Mackay was an important opportunity to challenge misconceptions about regional medicine. 

“I think having a Junior Doctor Conference in Mackay is critical to showcasing what can actually be done here,” he said.  

“I think it's very easy to assume that you're coming to a town that's 500 to 1000 kilometres from the nearest larger centre and that you'll just be doing general rural medicine with all of the interesting work and cases being sent away to specialist centres.” 

More Than a Regional Hospital

However, A/Prof Raith said junior doctors would instead find a rapidly expanding health service with opportunities to contribute to education, research and complex patient care. 

“What junior doctors coming to Mackay will find is that they’ll be contributing to a Health Service that is transitioning from a smaller base hospital to an early tertiary centre with expanding services,” he said.  

“There are a huge number of very sick patients presenting to Mackay Hospital every day, and they will be able to contribute to the delivery of medical education and the provision of medical and nursing research in a region that is now growing fast.” 

Unique Clinical Opportunities

He said Mackay offered exposure to a wide range of clinical experiences rarely found in metropolitan centres, including tropical medicine, trauma and mining-related injuries and respiratory conditions linked to the region’s resources sector.  

“In Mackay, you have the same heart attacks, the same COPD and the same Parkinson’s disease presentations as other centres,” he said. 

“But you also have a lot more trauma, a lot more tropical infectious diseases, more effects of climate on patient presentations and the opportunity to contribute to the care of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.”

Alongside career-building sessions and networking opportunities, delegates will also have the chance to experience the lifestyle that attracts many doctors to the region.

“Not to mention the opportunity to live in a tropical environment with access to larger cities readily available,” A/Prof Raith said.

“You are near world class islands and some of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country. You really can’t ask for more.”

A Voice in Global Research

A/Prof Raith’s endorsement carries significant weight within regional medicine. Alongside his clinical work in intensive care and neurocritical care, he has built international research collaborations through his recent Churchill Fellowship, connecting Mackay and James Cook University with leading institutions including Vanderbilt University, the University of Cambridge and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.

His work in biophotonics and critical care research has also sparked discussions with NASA and the Australian Space Agency about the potential for Mackay and surrounding rural sites to help test technologies that may one day support long-duration space missions.

For A/Prof Raith, those opportunities reinforce the idea that regional centres are no longer on the sidelines of advanced medicine and research.

Why Doctors Choose Mackay

JCU’s Head of Mackay Clinical School and long-time Mackay resident, A/Prof Elissa Hatherly said the AMAQ Junior Doctors Conference was an important opportunity to showcase the Mackay region.

“We see it as an opportunity for people to recognise that Mackay is a good place to visit, to locum, and for a longer-term career, even for 20-plus years if you’re keen like me.”

A/Prof Hatherly said Mackay-based students and junior doctors would enjoy the professional and social networking opportunity on their home turf.

“It's super exciting for the students and junior doctors who are already here to have the opportunity to stop for a weekend, enjoy a professional and social event, and reflect on their own practice and professional progression,” she said.

“It also gives us an opportunity to showcase some of the things that are quite unique to Mackay. People may not realise that it is a great place to live; it's not as touristy as Cairns. We have a large population of families living here, a huge variety of sports, as well as beautiful beaches and facilities. You've got those opportunities because the community is well established.”

A Conference Showcasing Regional Medicine

The 2026 Junior Doctors Conference will feature keynote speakers, practical sessions, social events and networking opportunities designed to help early career doctors explore pathways in regional Queensland.

It will also showcase the medical opportunities available in the Mackay region, including mine emergency retrieval medicine. Spots are limited, with registrations closing on Wednesday, July 15.

The AMAQ event is made possible thanks to sponsors Isaac Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council and PHN Northern Queensland, and is supported by NQRTH and local partners, including the Mackay Hospital and Health Service.

Where: Mantra Mackay
When: 25–26 July 2026
More information: https://lnkd.in/gNCvVkBC