The future of rural medicine

One or more of the student doctors could potentially be assigned to continue their studies while working in Deniliquin for the last three years of their course.

Giving the students a taste of the local area on Wednesday was Deniliquin Clinic practice manager Sarah Campbell.

And Miss Campbell said this is only one of a number of programs the clinic is involved in, in an effort to boost doctor numbers to service the Deniliquin and wider community.

“This program gives the students a breadth of training in rural generalist medicine, and we’re pleased to be aligned with CSU on this project,” she said.

“As part of our strategic plan, we’ve also aligned ourselves with the Murrumbidgee Rural Generalist Training Pathway, which will see registrars undertaking a 12 month placement.

“We have three of those coming next year, some of whom will specialise in anaesthetics and obstetrics.

“Murrumbidgee Local Health District’s junior medical officer’s program - which specified 50 per cent GP and 50 per cent hospital placements in 10 week rotations - also includes Deniliquin as part of the rotation, and we’ve had two of those JMOs in Deniliquin already.

“They’re learning skills that they might not otherwise get in emergency department placements, and filling service gaps in our clinics too.”

School of Rural Medicine associate dean Damien Limberger, who was also in Deniliquin this week, said the Orange based school had only been operating for two years.

He said its aim is to take rural-based students, train them in rural medicine and provide them with the skills to provide primary care in any district hospital or GP clinic.

“The students do basic sciences in Orange in years one and two, and then finish their training in rural communities. They then go on to become junior doctors, so it’s a 10 year process in the end.

“Deniliquin feeds into our Mallee Clinical School, which is based in Swan Hill, and the Riverina Clinical School at Wagga covers the Finley region.

“We are changing the model of medical training, aligned to where the workforce is needed.

“There is a mass shortage of GPs, and it is probably going to get worse.

“We have a social obligation to design a program to train the workforce needed.

“A lot of programs don’t do this early training, which allows the students to get an understanding for the role and the variety in rural medicine.

School of Rural Medicine dean Lesley Forster said another reason for their visit to Deniliquin this week was to raise awareness of their program.

“We would like students from this area to apply to us,” she said.

“You will have to move away from home for the first two years, but then you can complete the last three years at home.”

Placements for the second year students for next year have not been set. The location is to be determined by what is the best fit for the student.