Year 5D rural GP rotation

Rotations 4, 5, 6
One student per rotation
Mildura and Robinvale
Clinical Supervisors:
Dr Jane Neyland, 39 Latje Road, Robinvale, Vic, 3549.
Dr Phillip Webster, Ontario Medical Clinic, 196 – 200 Ontario Avenue, Mildura, Vic, 3500.

The two general practice clinics

Robinvale District Medical Clinic

You will spend three weeks at Robinvale District Medical Clinic, 39 Latje Road, Robinvale under the supervision of Dr Jane Neyland, MBBS, FRACGP, FACCRM.

Robinvale is a town in NW Victoria located on the banks of the Murray River. It is 100km from Mildura and 135km from Swan Hill. The town has an official population of 1800 people, with another 2000 in surrounding areas. The town has among the highest multicultural mixes of anywhere in Australia and at least 30 languages are spoken at the local school. There is also a large indigenous population.

Robinvale District Health Services is a multipurpose service that provides a diverse range of services including urgent care centre, primary care, aged care centre, dialysis, maternity services, maternal and child health, medical imaging and early years across a catchment area of approximately 60,000 square kilometres. In addition to service delivery in its immediate area, RDHS provides outreach services to the communities of Ouyen, Manangatang and Boundary Bend in Victoria.

A car is essential for this rotation. Accommodation is available at Robinvale for students during the week for a minimal fee. You can return to Mildura for the weekends.

Ontario Medical Clinic

You will also spend three weeks at Ontario Medical Clinic, 196–200 Ontario Avenue, Mildura under the supervision of Dr Philip Webster, MBBS, FRACGP, FACCRM, DipObsRACOG

Ontario Medical Clinic is a well-established general practice that has been operating in Mildura since 1996. The clinic is staffed by 14 full- and part-time doctors who have a wide range of knowledge and experience. They provide a range of services including women’s health, men’s health, travel medicine, diabetic care and minor surgical procedures. The clinic also hosts a range of visiting specialists from various fields including orthopaedic surgery and dermatology.

Learning opportunities

  • You will be consulting in parallel sessions with the GP supervisor every week. You will be observed at work: taking histories, examining patients, developing management plans, arranging follow up appointments and referrals. You will be able to take responsibility for patients under the GP’s supervision and see them again for reviews, or following them through to their specialist appointments - gaining perspectives on disease progression and long-term care.
  • You will also work alongside practice nurses, seeing patients who attend for chronic disease reviews and management plans (diabetics, asthmatics, older patients). You will gain a deeper understanding of the long-term goals of care in patients with chronic diseases and the effects these conditions have on their lives.
  • You will very likely have opportunities for ‘hands on’ procedural skills in these settings.
  • You will gain exposure to a broader variety of challenging medicine due to local demographics and challenges.
  • You will develop a strong understanding of Indigenous health, and living and working in culturally diverse communities