Credential in Rural and Remote Health

Dr Mark Szolkowski is an experienced GMC-registered clinician with more than 25 years’ experience across pre-hospital critical care, emergency medicine and rural health. His career has included work in remote, high-acuity and resource-limited settings across five countries, including Australia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the UK.

Mark developed his early rural generalist experience in Australia, including as an Outback Medical Superintendent, where he provided care for communities living far from specialist services. He later held senior medical leadership roles with International SOS, overseeing emergency response and MEDEVAC operations in complex and remote environments.

Since returning to the UK, Mark has continued to build his critical care capability through pre-hospital critical care training, anaesthetics experience and advanced clinical placements. His work with LIVES now supports high-acuity roadside and home-based emergency care across Lincolnshire, where clinicians often need to make complex decisions before specialist support is available.

Reflecting on the value of the Rural and Remote Health Credential, Mark said:

“My career has taken me through a number of different routes, but the consistent thread has been delivering care where resources, geography and time can all shape the clinical decision. The Rural and Remote Health Credential provides a formal way to recognise that experience and the specific judgement required to work safely in these environments.”

“What matters to me is that the Credential recognises rural and remote practice as a specialist area of expertise in its own right. It is not only about where you work; it is about the breadth of skills, adaptability and confidence needed to deliver safe, effective care when specialist support may be some distance away.”

For Mark, GMC recognition is important because it helps demonstrate that skills developed through diverse and non-traditional career pathways can meet recognised professional standards. It also supports confidence among patients, colleagues and employers that clinicians working in isolated and pre-hospital settings are practising within a clear and robust framework.

“In remote and pre-hospital settings, you often must bring together primary care, emergency medicine and critical care skills in real time. Having that experience formally recognised feels important, both professionally and for the communities who rely on clinicians to make safe, timely decisions in challenging circumstances.”

“I hope the Credential encourages other doctors with broad rural, remote or urgent care experience to see the value of their own pathway. It offers a structure for reflection, recognition and continued development, while reinforcing the importance of high-quality care for people living and working in rural and remote communities.”

“Rural and remote practice is not only about where you work; it is about the judgement, adaptability and confidence needed to deliver safe care when specialist support may be some distance away.”

To find out more about the credential learner and recognition routes, visit NHS Education for Scotland’s Credential in Rural and Remote Health | Turas | Learn.