Spouse/Partner Education and Training Grant

Grants are available to assist rural or remote medical spouses or partners wishing to undertake further education or training.

RMFN recognises the personal and professional development needs of rural and remote spouses/partners. The Education and Training Grant is intended to enhance the quality of life and/or career opportunities for individual applicants and to aid in the ongoing support of the medical family in the rural/remote setting.

Any spouse or partner of a rural doctor, medical specialist, dentist or pharmacist living in a rural or remote area of Victoria located within RA 2-5 (RRMA 4 to 7) may be eligible to apply. 

Applicants can apply for a grant to assist them to undertake any course of study delivered by an accredited training organisation or qualified private provider. The grants are valued at up to $1,000 per applicant, per year.

Guidelines and application forms are available on the HomePage of this website.

Career Counselling Service

This service is available to the families of general practitioners working in rural Victoria. Secondary students, tertiary students and mature age people are eligible to have consultations with a careers counsellor by telephone, over the internet or in person. The service is provided by a career counsellor from Box Hill Institute (BHI) in Melbourne.

If you would like to access the career counselling service, please contact the RMFN Office on (03) 8610 6318. to obtain an identification number and contact details.

Telephone Counselling Service

CRANA Bush Support Services provide a confidential telephone support and debriefing service, available 24 hours every day of the year for multi-disciplinary remote health practitioners and their families. The service is staffed by registered psychologists with remote and cross-cultural experience. This services is available from anywhere in Australia.

Telephone counselling is not just suited to those geographically isolated from specialist services, but may also be useful for those unable to travel to a counsellor's office (due to disability or time constraints) and for those living in smaller communities, who may be concerned that seeking counselling closer to home might not offer the privacy with which they would feel comfortable.

Rural GPs and their families are able to access CRANA, on the Toll-free Support Line.

To access the service call Toll-free Support Line 1800 805 391