General News
24 October, 2025
‘Calm’ doctor best registrar
BABINDA-based Dr Carolyn Belonogoff has been named the 2025 Queensland registrar of the year by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
A rural generalist registrar and provisional senior medical officer at Babinda Multi-Purpose Health Service, Dr Belonogoff was recognised for her dedication to patient care, teaching and leadership in rural medicine.
“It’s quite a big honour,” she said.
“ACRRM is the national program for Rural and Remote Medicine, so to stand out among so many incredible rural doctors across Queensland and Australia feels very humbling.
“I think the recognition was for my teaching and community work and I’m just grateful to be acknowledged for that.”
Originally from Detroit in the USA, Dr Belonogoff moved to Australia to study medicine at James Cook University and recently became an Australian citizen.
She first came to Babinda as a JCU medical student, an experience that inspired her to return years later as a rural doctor.
“I like to tell the students that I’m proof of what can happen after a great rural placement,” she said.
“That positive experience showed me a career path I could see myself doing long-term, living, raising a family and working in a rural hospital.”
Now a mentor herself, she provides supervision for JCU rural placement students and interns. “Even if they’re not rural-inclined, I want them to understand what rural hospitals deal with and to see the balance and satisfaction rural medicine can bring.”
Known for her calm and compassionate manner, Dr Belonogoff says that trait has been partly forged through motherhood and rural life.
“You must stay calm in any scenario, whether it’s at home or in an emergency department. Patients pick up on your energy, so even if you’re a bit anxious inside, staying steady helps everyone.”
She says one of the biggest challenges facing rural communities like Babinda is an ageing population and limited access to aged-care facilities.
“We often see older patients in acute hospital beds waiting for aged-care placement. To help, I created a resource pack for locals over 60 with contacts for community services and aged-care options, encouraging people to plan before it becomes a crisis,” Dr Belonogoff said.
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