Angela Titmuss is yet to practice as a doctor, but the UNSW medical student is already making waves in rural health.

The 25-year-old has been named by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) as its medical student of the year.

"Angela has demonstrated time and again her very strong commitment to rural health," says RDAA President Dr Peter Rischbieth. "She completed fifth year medicine at the University's rural clinical school in Wagga during 2006, and spent 2007 studying in Albury-Wodonga. She was one of only two final-year medical students to do so."

Angela - who is about to graduate as a doctor - was acknowledged for a range of work, including being part of the Rural Allied Health Medical Society at UNSW, having co-chaired the National Rural Health Network, working on an Indigenous health project and visiting high schools across Australia to promote careers in rural health.

For four years, the aspiring paediatrician undertook medical training placements under the John Flynn Scholarship Scheme, taking her to Bonya, 400 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs.

She even deferred her study in 2005, to take up a position as a youth worker in an Aboriginal community, Walungurru, which is 550 kilometres west of Alice Springs.

"It was always going to be a steep learning curve, but I loved it!" she says. "It made me realize I wanted to work with young people in health promotion - especially with Aboriginal people.

"I just feel frustrated with the inequities that shouldn't be there," she adds.

Next year, Angela heads back to the Alice - to work as an intern at the Base Hospital.