A regional nursing graduate who turned her degree into a medicine pathway is encouraging prospective students to explore the opportunities available at La Trobe University's upcoming Albury-Wodonga Open Day.
Benalla local Hannah Langsford graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing at La Trobe's Albury-Wodonga campus earlier this year before securing a place in a Doctor of Medicine course at Shepparton through her own academic achievements.
"Once I started studying, my love for people, health and medicine grew. I wanted to challenge myself and pursue studies beyond the realm of general nursing," Hannah said.
"By final year, I knew I was meant to give more to my community by transferring my unique skills and experience gained from nursing into a career in medicine."
Albury-Wodonga Head of Campus Ged Bourke said Hannah's story reflected the opportunities available through regional study and the important role the campus played in developing the region's future workforce.
"Hannah's journey demonstrates there is no single pathway into a rewarding health career and that students who start in nursing can go on to pursue a wide range of professional opportunities, including medicine," Ged said.
"Alongside students who progress through degrees such as nursing, we also offer direct pathways through the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical) and the Rural Medical Pathway, a partnership with the University of Melbourne that enables students to study medicine regionally from start to finish."
Ged said the University's focus on work-integrated learning through its strong industry connections helped ensure graduates were career-ready.
"Open Day is a chance for future students and their families to discover the opportunities available right here in our region, while learning about the teaching, research and industry partnerships making a difference locally and across Australia."
The research partnerships highlight the breadth of opportunities available at the campus, where students study alongside academics contributing to nationally significant work with real-world impact.
This includes the national Holistic Understanding and TailorED eating disorder clinical trials, with La Trobe Albury-Wodonga the only regional site involved alongside the University of Sydney and Monash University.
Less than 10 per cent of clinical trials in Australia are conducted in rural areas.
Professor of Psychology Leah Brennan said the studies, coordinated locally by La Trobe researcher Dr Rachael Cronin, were helping ensure regional communities are represented in research while improving access to specialist care.
"Regional communities are often under-represented in large clinical research studies, so the inclusion of the Albury-Wodonga area is important to highlight the regional perspective and experiences in accessing high-quality, evidence-based treatment," Professor Brennan said.
"This project is providing immediate eating disorder treatment services to the region while also helping build long-term local capability by upskilling clinicians and strengthening specialist expertise within the community."
La Trobe's Albury-Wodonga campus Open Day will be held between 9am and 2pm on Sunday, 16 August.
New for 2026, the day will feature a dedicated family hub with activities and community organisations for visitors of all ages.
- Register for Open Day here.
