Dr Monique 'Mon' Bihari, Co-chair

Mon is passionate about both medical education and research and thoroughly enjoyed attending the DRIVERS conference in 2022. Mon chose to undertake rural placement and completed her internship in Wangaratta via the M2M rural generalist scheme. Mon and her husband work in Bendigo currently and are passionate about rural healthcare. Mon is currently working as an unaccredited O&G registrar at Bendigo Health. Mon has joined the women's soccer team in Bendigo and has two cats, Sal and Polly

Dr Noel Ravindranayagam, Co-chair

Dr Noel Ravindranayagam is currently a basic physician trainee and one of the inaugural Regional physician BPTs shared between Austin Health and Bendigo Health. Growing up, living and working in rural and regional Australia have instilled a strong desire to work in a regional or rural setting long term. Noel is the current co-president of the Bendigo HMO society and is eager to develop the opportunities for training, upskilling and retaining the junior medical workforce in regional Victoria. In his spare time he “enjoys” running, reading and catching up with mates over a game of golf, boardgame, or a beer

Dr Jasmine Elliot

Dr Jasmine Elliott is an Intern at Bendigo (and Echuca!). Having grown up in rural NT and QLD, Jas is passionate about equalising access to healthcare between postcodes, with a particular interest in mental health. She is a member of the Loddon Mallee Mental Health and Wellbeing Interim Body and has been involved in research advocacy with the CRE for Driving Investment into Adolescent Health. In her spare time, Jas enjoys a hike, sampling the wonderful baked goods of Bendigo and playing music.

Dr Benjamin Sebastian

Dr Benjamin Sebastian is a current PGY3 at Bendigo Health working as a surgical resident. He has a keen interest in urology and intends to pursue this as a career path into the future. He has a rural background and completed his medical school teaching with rotations at sites including  Ballarat, Wangaratta, Corowa/Rutherglen, Shepparton, and Echuca. Being from a regional area himself he has an innate understanding of some of the difficulties regional persons face with regards to health care, and intends to practice regionally into the future

Dr Louise Burns

Louise is a PGY2 at Mildura Base Public Hospital who is passionate about rural and remote health. Louise graduated from James Cook University in 2011. From travel to flying drones professionally for the QLD SES to working as a Sentence Planning Advisor in a prison in Far North Queensland, Louise has spent the better part of a decade experiencing all that life has to offer. Feeling the pull back to a career in Medicine, Louise commenced her internship in Mildura in 2022 and plans to enter the Rural Generalist pathway in 2023. She has long term plans to stay in Mildura but would eventually like to return home to Mareeba in Far North Queensland. In her spare time Louise likes writing, swimming, and kayaking and is always up for a Jurassic Park movie marathon.

Dr Frank Dunley

Frank is originally from the city, and is now strongly invested in regional and rural practice. Frank is currently interning at Bendigo Health wiht the aim to possibly do some surgical registrar years in the Loddon mallee area.Frank enjoys travelling as well as reading in his spare time.

Dr Elly Thomas

Dr Elly Thomas is a PGY3 based at Bendigo Health, currently completing a VRGP HMO year with placements across Echuca, Bendigo and Swan Hill. Elly was raised in the Mallee, and her current goal is to pursue rural generalism, as she is excited by the opportunities available in rural and regional health. Elly hopes to help strengthen and develop these opportunities for other doctors to build a strong and sustainable rural workforce. When she’s off the clock, Elly enjoys exploring nearby towns and nature reserves, crocheting or tending to her (many) indoor plants.

Dr Alannah Murray

Alannah grew up on a small farm in Coldstream, on the fringe between Melbourne's outer suburbs and the more rural areas of the Yarra Valley. Seeing the discrepancy in access to healthcare between the more suburban areas of where I lived and the more rural towns 45 minutes up the road drove her passion for rural health. Alannah is currently a PGY-3 at Bendigo Health. Alannah loves the pace of regional living and the opportunities for training in Emergency Medicine in Bendigo.

Dr Rochelle Vaz

Rochelle is a Monash University Malaysia alumna, currently working as a Surgical Resident (PGY2) at Bendigo Health, after having successfully completed Internship here in 2022. Being a ‘third culture kid’ with exposure to an assortment of nationalities, she truly sees the world as her oyster, and has lived in culturally diverse countries such as India, Oman, Malaysia and now Australia. She developed a keen interest in Orthopaedics and Plastic surgery, kindled during the COVID-19 pandemic when she underwent apprenticeships under established orthopaedic and general surgeons in Oman. With training experience in underdeveloped, developing and developed countries under her belt, she continues to harness them with a vision to, one day, carve her own niche as a future female surgeon. Despite scarce leisurely time, she finds ways to stay entertained, whether it’s through café hopping, reading, sketching, or bathroom singing!

Dr Sally Barker

Dr Sally Barker is a current intern at Bendigo Health. Having grown up in coastal NSW and attending medical school at Deakin University on the Victorian Surf Coast,
Sally has traded in beaches for rolling hills and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Being fortunate to undertake the majority of her placements in regional and rural NSW and VIC,
as well as overseas, has led Sally to feel strongly that a person’s health outcomes should not be
determined by their address. Outside of work, Sally enjoys growing some veggies and spending time with her dog.

Dr  Nathan Dalton, Co-chair 

Dr Nathan Dalton is currently a PGY2 at Bendigo Health and an adjunct research fellow with Monash University. Having participated in multiple research projects in regional settings, he has a keen interest in celebrating the unique scholarly work conducted in non-metropolitan settings. He completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) investigating the long-term survival of medical emergency team call patients in a Victorian regional hospital. Outside of medicine, Nathan thoroughly enjoys both listening to and playing music.

Dr Jessica Paynter, Co-chair

Dr Jessica Paynter is currently PGY4 at Bendigo Health. She grew up in the Loddon Mallee region and is committed to rural and regional medicine. She was part of the Inagural DRIVERS conference, Co Chairing the Steering Committee and is a foundation of the success of DRIVERS today. Jess studies as part of the Monash University Extended Rural Cohort, completing all of her clinical placements in Mildura, Swan Hill and Bendigo. She is committed to improving the health and health literacy of people from the bush. Jess is an avid runner and triathlete and has a new-found love for gardening.

A/Prof Janelle Brennann

Associate Professor Janelle Brennan is a Urologist who has lived and worked in the Bendigo region for the last ten years. She is currently the Head of Urology at Bendigo Health, Principal Investigator on two local clinical trials and holds a number of professional appointments, including USANZ representative on the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Rural Health Equity Advisory and Reference Group. As Director of the North West Victorian Regional Training Hub, Janelle leads a team focused on improving training opportunities for junior doctors in the Loddon Mallee region. When not working, Janelle tries to play golf, enjoy good food and wine, tinker with Lego and watch her beloved Richmond Tigers with her dog, Dusty.

Dr Rebecca Mathieson

Dr Rebecca Mathieson is currently an unaccredited urology registrar at Bendigo Health. After growing up in regional New South Wales, Rebecca was enrolled with the University of Melbourne’s Rural Clinical School and has worked for a number of years at Bendigo Health, highlighting her strong links to regional Australia and her work in rural medicine. Rebecca is also currently enrolled in a Masters of Surgical Education and enthusiastic about promoting education and teaching within her practice.