Dr Arron Veltre - RDAA Rural Doctor of the Year 2024

Arron is the first ever permanent Palliative Care Specialist at Taree, in the beautiful Manning Valley region on the NSW Mid North Coast. Raised in outer suburban Melbourne, his passion for Rural Medicine began with a six week medical student placement he undertook 25 years ago – also in Taree! After working for six years as a GP, Arron took a new career path into Palliative Care – a field of Medicine that, in his own words, had petrified him as a student, as he’d felt powerless in the face of the dying process – but he hasn’t looked back, learning what really matters most to those nearing the end of life and recognising the true value of a Palliative Care doctor to the patient and their family. Along the way too, he has experienced first-hand what it’s like to be the patient rather than the doctor – something that has shaped the way he approaches his work.