Traralgon

Core rotations

  • Acute Care

    Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) boasts a busy Emergency Department (ED) with in excess of 40,000 ED presentations a year. The ED is a dynamic, ever-changing environment where students can see a vast array of presentations from paediatrics to older patients, ranging from acute to exacerbations of chronic illnesses requiring emergency management. The LRH ED incorporates a triage area, resuscitation bays, dedicated paediatric bays, a 24-hour short-stay unit and mental health beds. The unit also has a section specifically targeted at drugs, alcohol and other mental health presentations. A sensory room to support patient management is also available. Students completing their ED rotation at LRH will be supervised by a senior clinician and will work alongside Fellows of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine (FACEMs), interns and registrars, and be involved in the day-to-day activities expected of junior doctors. ED at LRH offers a large scope to practise clinical skills, history taking and examinations on a wide range of health conditions including undifferentiated presentations. Students will be actively involved with patient assessments, organising patient investigations, providing treatment and input to patient management, liaising with patients and their families, engaging with other departments across the service, referrals, and discharge planning. There will be many opportunities to practise clinical procedures prior to the intern year. In addition, students can, under appropriate supervision, observe and engage in patient care in the resuscitation and acute care areas. Students completing their emergency medicine placement also attend a range of hospital-based education activities, including regular practice-based teaching, ED-specific education and weekly grand rounds.

  • Aged Care

    Students completing this core rotation at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) will be placed in one of two aged care placements. The first area is the Nicholson Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) unit which is a 19-bed geriatric ward with an additional Transitional Living Unit (TLU) used for patient rehabilitation. The GEM unit predominantly caters for patients over the age of 70 years who have complex conditions associated with ageing, cognitive dysfunction, chronic illness or disability. The unit provides therapeutic programs overseen by a large team of health professionals including a geriatrician. Students completing this placement will be supervised by a geriatrician and included as part of the team in patient management and care. Students will learn valuable skills in patient assessment, aged care placement processes, rehabilitation, admission and discharge, multidisciplinary patient care and referral. Students will gain additional experience in venepuncture, IV cannulation, IDC insertion and management, and medication review. The second aged care placement option is with the orthogeriatric team, working out of the orthopaedics unit. Students will form part of the medical team that assesses and manages geriatric patients with orthopaedic presentations that may or may not require surgery. Students will experience the multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, admission and discharge processes, surgery, pain management, patient assessment and practice clinical skills such as IV cannulation. Students completing their aged care placement engage in a range of hospital-based education, with learning opportunities including regular practice-based teaching and weekly grand rounds.

  • Medicine

    The general medical units at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) provide comprehensive medical care to patients with a wide range of health conditions. Common health conditions that can be seen include cardiology, respiratory, renal, endocrine, infectious disease, orthogeriatric, rheumatology, haematology, oncology and palliative care. LRH has two separate medical units, Acute Medical Unit (Avon) and General Medical Unit (Bass). Students completing their medicine rotation will be allocated to one of the units, under the supervision of a senior consultant, where they will assist the team in providing a range of general and specialised care to patients. Students will work with the team and assist in the assessment, planning and management of medical patients. Students will practise their procedural as well as history and examination skills. Students will also spend some dedicated time working with the LRH Cardiology team as part of their medicine rotation. Students completing their medicine placement also engage in a range of hospital-based education activities, including regular practice-based teaching and weekly grand rounds.LRH’s medical services provide a range of general and specialised care to patients. These services include:Inpatient care:Cardiac careRespiratory carePalliative careInpatient oncologyStroke careOutpatient care:Renal servicesOncologyCardiac servicesDiabetes educationRespiratory services

  • Scholarly Intensive Placement (SIP)

    SIP projects on offer at Monash Rural Health Traralgon are in collaboration with Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) and Monash Rural Health research staff. The majority of projects offered at LRH are clinically based and are focused on quality assurance/quality improvement audit style projects, linked to national standards and areas identified as a need within the health service. These projects are intended to enhance the students' understanding of health care QA/QI processes and to improve patient outcomes at LRH. In addition to QA/QI projects, students may have the opportunity to undertake research-based projects with Monash Rural Health staff in various areas, or education-focused staff with a member of the broad team working across Monash Rural Health and LRH.

  • Surgery

    Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) is equipped with seven busy theatres and two endoscopy suites that cater to emergency and elective surgery. The types of surgery that a student may experience include general surgery, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, ENT, thoracic, vascular and urology. LRH also boasts a cardiac catheterisation facility, which enables cardiac specialists to diagnose and treat heart disease through angiography, stents, TOE and/or pacemaker insertion and direct current reversion (DCR). Students completing their surgical rotation at LRH will be under the supervision of a surgeon and will be part of a team that includes interns, registrars and surgeons. Surgical placement experience at LRH includes care of pre and post-operative patients, initial and follow-up consultations and care for the patient undergoing surgery in the operating theatre. Students will assist with surgical procedures under the supervision of the surgeons to gain valuable experience in the surgical setting. Students completing their surgery placement will also engage in a range of hospital-based education activities, including weekly radiology/pathology meetings and pathology audits.

Speciality rotations

  • Anaesthetics

    Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) has seven busy theatres, one post-anaesthetic recovery room and one day surgery recovery room. The anaesthetic department supports the operating theatres providing high-quality care to patients requiring anaesthesia. Anaesthetics services are provided by specialist Anaesthetists and Registrars. Anaesthesia is a practical specialty and the majority of the student’s time will be spent in theatres. Students completing this rotation will be rostered with an anaesthetist and gain experience in intubation, cannulation, anaesthetic techniques and protocols, and possible exposure to paediatric anaesthesia. Students will also spend time in recovery with the nursing staff and in the pre-anaesthetic clinics. The LRH anaesthetic department also runs an acute pain management service which provides students with valuable insights into the care of patients experiencing/living with acute and chronic pain using bothnon-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. Students completing their specialty anaesthetic placement will also engage in a range of hospital-based education activities, including simulations of anaesthetic crises.

  • Orthopaedic Surgery

    The orthopaedic unit at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) is a busy unit comprising a surgical team and a dedicated orthopaedic team. LRH is the major referral centre for orthopaedic trauma in Gippsland and manages a large elective list across a broad range of presentations. The types of patient presentations that a student will experience are from hip, wrist, arm and leg fractures, joint arthroplasty (replacements) and other elective procedures such as osteotomy, arthroscopy and ligament repairs (ACL) etc. Students completing an orthopaedics rotation will have the opportunity to support the management of orthopaedic patients, along with assisting with surgical procedures in theatre. Students will work closely with the orthopaedic team, the surgical, orthogeriatric and the wider multidisciplinary teams. Students completing their specialty orthopaedics placement will also engage in a range of hospital-based education, with learning opportunities including regular practice-based teaching and weekly grand rounds.

  • ICU

    ICU at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) is an 18-bed unit that serves a diverse range of patient populations. This newly built section of the hospital has state-of-the-art equipment and boasts quality care for patients requiring a high level of support. LRH’s ICU provides care for patients requiring mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, haemofiltration, cardiac monitoring and invasive haemodynamic monitoring with vasopressor or inotropic infusions. The staff also care for patients with post- interventional cardiac procedures, requiring aortic pumps and pacing. In addition, the ICU provides care for high dependency patients post-surgery, post-stroke, DKA and high acuity maternity care. Students completing their specialty rotation in ICU will be supervised by an ICU consultant and will immerse themselves within the ICU team. They will experience how ICU patients are managed, and have exposure to procedures such as arterial line and CVC line insertion, monitoring and ventilation techniques. Students undertaking their specialty intensive care placement will also engage in a range of hospital-based education, with opportunities including regular practice-based teaching and weekly grand rounds.

  • Oncology

    Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) is the home to the Gippsland Cancer Care Centre, which services a large area of Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, meaning that patients may not need to travel to a metropolitan area for treatment. The Cancer Care Centre offers Chemotherapy, Radiation Oncology and supportive care services, from highly skilled health professionals. Students completing their placement in oncology will be able to work with a number of different health professionals to care for members of the local community. Students will learn about cancer care treatment plans, management, diagnostic testing and support systems, along with honing their history and examination skills, clinical reasoning and diagnostic formulation. Students will have the opportunity to visit outpatient clinics and observe multidisciplinary care models. Students completing their specialty oncology placement will also engage in a range of hospital-based education sessions, with opportunities including regular practice-based teaching and weekly grand rounds.

  • Infectious Diseases

    Your Infectious Diseases rotation at Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) offers a supportive, hands-on learning experience within a busy regional health service. LRH provides care to a diverse Gippsland community, giving you exposure to a wide range of infectious presentations across acute, sub-acute, and community settings. During your rotation, you'll work closely with the infectious diseases team to develop skills in clinical assessment, antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention, and the management of complex or high-risk infections. You'll have opportunities to participate in ward rounds, outpatient clinics, multidisciplinary discussions, and diagnostic reasoning alongside experienced clinicians. Students consistently describe LRH as a welcoming environment where teaching is prioritised and questions are encouraged. You'll gain insight into regional models of care, the challenges and strengths of delivering infectious diseases services outside metropolitan centres, and the importance of teamwork in safe, effective patient care. By the end of your rotation, you will have strengthened your clinical confidence, broadened your understanding of infectious diseases in real-world practice, and contributed meaningfully to patient-centred care in Gippsland.