The 25-year-old Australian National University student has become the 14^th winner of the annual ANU Medical School Bega Cheese Scholarship for his essay which shines a light on a lack of medical support in rural areas.

Mr Owen's essay investigates his passion to dismantle the "geographical barriers currently faced by regional Australians".

"There needs to be programs in place to create a constant stream of physicians in rural areas. Physicians will go where they can work safely, effectively and efficiently," he said.

"If you don't have resources you will always hit dead ends.

"To be successful we need innovative minds."

The Brisbane born student said at least one in four medical students from his year chose the rural stream.

He said "falsehoods" such as the rumour only general practitioners are able to work in rural areas is common on city campuses.

He said early exposure to rural medicine is crucial if it is going to attract some of the nation's best minds.

"Part of the reason my parents had to give up rural life for the city was a lack of medical support in the region; future rural families shouldn't be forced to make this decision," he said in his winning essay.

"A large part of medical and psychological care during treatment is the support network and community available during these tough times; forcing patients to leave their support network behind to travel for care only exacerbates matters.

"I hope to be part of the next generation of specialists who flip the burden of travel and go to the patients in need of support."

He said he was surprised to win this year's $3000 scholarship as all of his classmates were "deserving" of the award.

The scholarship is open to all student's in the university's rural stream in the Bega Valley.

In the essay Mr Owen shares his own personal experience of having to leave his home city to study.

"I had to move interstate leaving behind my entire support network," he said.

"Self-doubt crept into my mind during that time - though resilient, I'd never faced a challenge that big before."

I always knew that I wanted a career in health that would immerse me within the community. By the end of high school, I'd developed a passion for community mental health and pursued higher education in psychology. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my education and training, I sought even more medical knowledge; developing an understanding of the mind left me wanting to learn about the body it controlled too. My decision to pursue a career in medicine was not made lightly. I had to move interstate leaving behind my entire support network. Self-doubt crept into my mind during that time - though resilient, I'd never faced a challenge that big before. But a little effort went a long way, and soon I had developed a new support network in Canberra.

In my first year of medicine I quickly found friends in the ANU Rural Medical Society who were keen to make a difference in rural health and medical education. Across the year, I travelled to rural towns to perform free health checks, helped organise and sponsor the 'Close the Gap' conference, and got to encourage regional students to study medicine at the National Youth Science Forum. In my second year of medicine I took up the role of Academic Representative, so that I could offer academic and emotional support to the medical student community. Many were like me, having left their homes, trying to find their feet in the new community. Though balancing my responsibilities was difficult, connecting and harbouring a more supportive community was worth the extra effort - the stronger the community, the more its members thrive.

My personal experiences in moving communities to study medicine, along with the invaluable experiences gained during my engagement with the ANU Rural Medical Society and Academic Team encouraged me to apply to the rural stream. In addition to these academic experiences, my family's rural and regional roots drew me to the rural stream. In particular, my childhood experiences of visiting my parent's country homes and family friends provided a unique childhood opportunity for me to experience life outside the urban sprawl and personally witness the unique benefits and challenges posed by life in the country.

My goal is to use my training to improve rural health and well-being. Part of the reason my parents had to give up rural life for the city was a lack of medical support in the region; future rural families shouldn't be forced to make this decision. A large part of medical and psychological care during treatment is the support network and community available during these tough times; forcing patients to leave their support network behind to travel for care only exacerbates matters. I hope to be part of the next generation of specialists who flip the burden of travel and go to the patients in need of support. Through the provision of medicine to regional communities, I hope to positively contribute to the dismantling of geographical barriers currently faced by regional Australians.