2019 NAFEA Scholarship Recipient Anita Tait Griffith University Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics Earlier this year I was relocated to Mackay in Queensland and Darwin in the Northern Territory as part of my practical placement for my degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Within Mackay I worked at the Mental Health Community Centre and also at the Mackay Base Hospital within the Surgical Unit for 6weeks. The experience of working within the region of Mackay has provided me with an insight into the challenges faced by patients living in rural areas. I noted the importance of managing nutrition education within the inpatient setting before patients were discharged back to rural and remote locations where managing health conditions can be challenging due to the lack of Medical Professionals and facilities. Within my work at Mackay Base Hospital there was also more variety in the types of patient presentations, mainly due to less specialist wards and facilities within the region. This allowed me to expand my knowledge and education on managing a wide variety of surgical conditions within my case load. During my time in Darwin I had the pleasure of working with the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation for 6weeks. This experience provided me with an incredible opportunity to travel to two remote parts of the Northern Territory (Gunbalanya and the island of Milingimbi). I travelled to these locations on small charter planes overlooking the great Kakadu National Park which was an exciting and very unique experience. Within these very remote locations I was exposed to the health challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians while also learning about the beautiful culture, language and way of life. Working within these very remote communities has influenced my motivation for providing nutritional education