Monash medical students explore future careers in Echuca
Twenty-four Monash medical students had the opportunity to learn more about life as a rural generalist and rural general practitioner in Echuca and the surrounding area on Monday, 26 June.
The students are currently undertaking their first clinical year with Monash Rural Health in Bendigo and were warmly welcomed by Echuca Regional Health (ERH) - who showed them just how much opportunity there is to practise in hospitals as GPs in regional settings.
The field day was full of many different voices and experiences: students visited Rochester to see first-hand the ongoing flood impacts on the health service and spent time at Njernda Medical Centre, to gain insight into Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and their community-connected model of primary care delivery. The group also toured two other regional GP clinics and spent time on the wards and the Emergency Department at ERH.
Across the day, students heard from local General Practitioners and Rural Generalists about the diversity of their work and regional lifestyles. The students appreciated connecting with recent Monash graduate, Dr Lachlan Carroll, who is currently undertaking an internship at Echuca Regional Health as part of the Victorian Rural Generalist Program’s Loddon Mallee pathway.
The field day was part of a new Future Focus week, designed by the Monash North West Victoria Regional Training Hub and Monash Rural Health Bendigo, to give students the chance to hear from rural doctors working in primary care across a range settings early on in their degree.
“Rural generalists and general practitioners are the backbone of rural healthcare - though at the start of clinical placements, many students are unfamiliar with the depth and breadth of these roles, and the ability to design their own future pathway and work in their niche area of interest as a GP”, said Sophie Burke, North West Victoria Regional Training Hub Manager.
“Today was an opportunity for our students to hear first-hand from some of the amazing rural generalists and GPs in Echuca, Elmore and Rochester, and their diversity of skills and roles, and it will enable them to consider this in the context of their future medical career.”
For Monash medical student Anna Nowotny, the experience opened her eyes to the world of rural generalism.
“I really enjoyed today and loved learning from the practitioners who work in this region about their journeys and the different pathways available to students who want to work in rural and regional areas. Before today, my knowledge of the rural generalist program was limited and I didn't know how it was different from general practice. I'm now incredibly interested in this program and seriously considering applying to become a rural generalist.”
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Monash Rural Health Regional Training Hubs
The Monash Rural Health Regional Training Hubs facilitate speciality training and career development opportunities for junior doctors, to help them live, work and train rurally. The Monash Regional Training Hubs are supported by the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program of the Department of Health.