07/08/2026
Introducing The Australian Rural Health Game 🎲
Every year, more than 300 University of Sydney medical students learn about the unique challenges and strengths shaping the health of rural people.
Early in the Doctor of Medicine program, students learn about the social determinants of health and how these affect people. These are the non-medical factors that influence health such as where a patient lives, their cultural background, employment status, housing and living situation, and relationships. These factors can be the cause of unfair and preventable differences between people that live in rural or metropolitan areas.
To help students understand the rural social determinants of health, staff at the School of Rural Health have developed The Australian Rural Health Game. Players adopt a patient character and play as though they’re living that person’s life for a whole year. In the thirty minutes of game play, that character encounters challenges such as housing stress, racism or unemployment, as well as positive experiences like strong community connections, inclusive healthcare and well-funded community services.
At the end of the game, players determine whether their character’s health has improved, deteriorated, or remained stable with many opportunities to discuss what factors contributed to their gameplay experience.
The main purpose of the game is to demonstrate that the social determinants have a measurable and predictable effect on the health of rural people. The game also challenges learners to consider ways the rural social determinants of health can be addressed at the level of the individual patient and the broader community.
The game is now being used by educators across medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy, and social work at the University of Sydney and at other Australian universities. The game is also beneficial for anyone working in healthcare, health service providers or those needing to improve their understanding of how the social determinants of health impact rural people.
This innovative teaching tool is one example of the School of Rural Health's commitment to improving students understanding of rural health as we celebrate 25 years of rural medical education.
The game is fully supported with an evidence-based guide and facilitator notes. DM for more info.
Sydney Health
