Professor Tarun Sen Gupta

Professor Tarun Sen Gupta

Director | Townsville

MBBS FRACGP FACRRM PhD

“I value the strength of rural communities, and how they embrace and support rural doctors and their families.”

Professor Tarun Sen Gupta has been a medical practitioner for 35 years. He is also an unwavering advocate for high quality education and training in rural and remote healthcare. Tarun is currently Professor of Health Professional Education at James Cook University (JCU) College of Medicine and Dentistry in Townsville. As well as the Head of Clinical School at JCU. His early career began in the town of Richmond in North Queensland, where he worked as a GP during the late 1980’s and 90’s. Before he started practicing there, he had never heard of Richmond, nor been to North Queensland. After 30 years, he still lives there, so you could say he fell in love with the place.

For the past 26 years, Tarun has had a special focus on rural and remote medical education. In particular, policy, governance, assessment, and education. He has also contributed over 30 years to governing rural health organisations at a local, state, and national level.
  • Chair of the Assessment Committee, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (2012 – present)
  • Co-Director and Training Advisor, Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (2007 – present)
  • Deputy Chair of the Academic Board, James Cook University (2015 – 2019)
  • Director of RDAA (2015 – 2018)
  • Treasurer of RDAQ Inc (2017 – 2021)
  • President of RDAQ Inc (2014 – 2015)

Tarun was a founding Director of RDAQ Foundation Ltd in 2014. He served as Treasurer from 2015 to 2023. 

Over the years Tarun has travelled to every corner of Queensland. He enjoys rural communities, rural landscapes, and the company of rural doctors. When he’s not changing the face of rural education, he has his feet up watching sport or reading. Or you may find him out walking his dogs, or wining and dining his wife, Wendy.

Tarun has two children, one of whom is an intern at Townsville University Hospital. And he is also looking to rural generalist medicine as a career.