Best Practice Software has partnered with CQUniversity to launch two scholarships supporting first-year medical students from the Bundaberg region.
The CQU Cares Best Practice Software Medical Scholarships have been awarded to students commencing their medical studies in 2026, with the initiative aimed at supporting the future regional healthcare workforce.
The scholarships are administered and awarded by CQUniversity, with 2026 recipients Isabelle Hung and Shae Guivarra recently visiting Best Practice Software’s Bundaberg offices to learn about digital health and practice management systems.
Best Practice CEO Craig Hodges said the partnership reflected the company’s commitment to supporting emerging clinicians and regional healthcare capability.
“Bundaberg plays a vital role in Queensland’s healthcare landscape, and we’re proud to support local students as they begin their medical journey,” Mr Hodges said.
CQUniversity Medical Science Course Manager Maggie Hefer said the Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) was designed to increase the number of medical professionals in rural and regional areas.
Created for school leavers, students complete the first three years at CQUniversity before having a provisional entry pathway into the University of Queensland’s regionally based Doctor of Medicine program.
“This course equips students with the academic readiness and practical grounding required for a future career in medicine,” Ms Hefer said.
Ms Hung said she began considering medicine as a career while in Year 10 and was attracted to the opportunity to make a difference in a regional community.
“Being part of a regional medical program means I can make a real difference in a community. That’s something I’m really proud of,” she said.
She said receiving the scholarship had also provided welcome support as she began her studies.
“I was really excited and very grateful. It means a lot that a company is willing to support students like us.”
Mr Guivarra said his interest in medicine began when he was seven, after watching paramedics resuscitate his mother following a cardiac arrest caused by a paralysis tick.
He subsequently became involved in emergency services, private ambulance services and the ambulance service.
“I get a lot of satisfaction from helping people. Doing medicine is a way for me to be able to provide that to people. Knowing that you’ve helped them is great,” he said.
Mr Guivarra is considering several areas of medicine, including critical care and retrieval medicine, as well as remote medicine.
He said his family’s connection to the Torres Strait Islands had also contributed to an interest in Indigenous health.
“We have an Indigenous family, and Indigenous health is a big thing for me. I do know that it’s a big area that needs to have more doctors in.”
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