Harriet Dawson, Greenstone Financial Services Pty Ltd, May 2026

Seeing the healthcare barriers faced by rural families inspired Armidale medical student Fleur Steen to pursue medicine, and now a national grant is helping support that goal.

Fleur, 18, who grew up in regional and rural Australia around Toowoomba, has been awarded the $5,000 Real Futures Grant by Real Insurance in recognition of her commitment to improving healthcare access for regional and rural communities.

Now studying medicine at the University of New England in Armidale, Fleur said growing up in rural communities made her aware from an early age of the challenges many people face when trying to access healthcare.

“Growing up in regional and rural Australia, I became aware of the barriers many rural communities face when accessing healthcare,” Fleur said. “Seeing these challenges affect both people in my community and members of my own family strongly motivated me to pursue medicine.”

She said the grant would help ease some of the financial pressures that come with studying medicine, particularly as a regional student. The funding will go towards costs including placements, travel, accommodation, textbooks, equipment and professional development opportunities.

“The grant will make a huge difference in helping support the financial demands that come with studying medicine,” Fleur said. “As a regional student, I’m incredibly grateful for this support, as it will reduce a lot of the financial pressure that can come with a long and intensive degree.”

The support will also allow Fleur to spend more time focusing on research and rural health advocacy alongside her studies.

“In the future, I hope to improve regional health outcomes by working in rural and regional communities while also advocating for stronger healthcare access, resources, and training opportunities outside metropolitan areas,” she said.

Alongside her studies, Fleur is involved in rural health advocacy through the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA), where she is helping organise the 2026 Rural Health Summit in Armidale as part of the Academic Team.

The summit is expected to bring together more than 200 medical students and healthcare professionals from across Australia to promote rural medicine through workshops, networking and discussions around rural health challenges and solutions.

Fleur is also involved in research focused on the impacts of disease on minority groups and rural or regional populations in Australia, and hopes to continue contributing to research throughout her medical career.

“Winning the Real Futures Grant was incredibly meaningful to me,” Fleur said. “Medicine is a long and demanding journey, so receiving this recognition and support is both encouraging and motivating. It felt very validating to have my commitment to regional healthcare recognised.”

“At Real Insurance, we know that financial pressure can be a real barrier for students working towards careers that make a difference. The Real Futures Grant is about backing people who are committed to creating positive change in their communities, and Fleur’s passion for improving health outcomes in rural Australia stood out to us. We’re proud to support her as she continues her studies and works towards making a meaningful impact in the future,” said Simon Hovell, Chief Marketing Officer at Greenstone Financial Services.

Applications for the 2026 Real Futures Grant are now open and close on 1 October 2026 at 11:59pm (AEST).