Medical students head to Central West to get taste of country life

Fifteen students from a number of universities across the state jumped on a bus and headed west in a quest to see the realities of practicing in rural areas as part of a Go Rural event hosted by NSW Rural Doctors Network (RDN).

The medical, nursing and allied health students from the universities of NSW, Notre Dame, New England and Newcastle visited Orange, Molong, Cowra and Canowindra at the end of last week.

Students who had expressed interest in working in rural areas once they graduate visited hospitals and health services, listening to talks and taking part in clinical skills activities, and according to Emily Neville, it was well worth the trip.

A second year medical student from the University of Notre Dame, Ms Neville said the group was made up of both students from rural backgrounds and those who lived and studied in the city.

“The idea of the trip was to introduce everyone to the realities of practicing in a rural town,” she said.

Ms Neville is from Highfields, Queensland, and said she was keen to head out to the Central West, having never seen towns in rural NSW.

The trip also included dinners with local GPS, winery tours, farm visits, and a special dinner cooked by the Canowindra Country Women’s Association ladies, who prepared a roast dinner and cakes with their brand new oven.

Ms Neville said the trip was not only about seeing local facilities and talking to the professionals who work there, it was also about understanding the role health professionals play in rural communities.

“It is about the communities and individual patients. It is not just about being a doctor. It is about being part of the community,” she said.

Ms Neville said it was important for medical students, particularly those who had not ventured outside the city, to see what it is like to work in the bush.

“It is really important for them to see what rural lifestyle is about,” she said. “It has solidified for me that I will work in rural medicine.”