Taste of rural life
A group of second year medical students have been given a taste of rural living in the hope they may choose a rural medical practice once qualified.
The Monash medical students visited Drouin West CFA as part of a state wide program enabling students to visit workplaces to get a feel for the sorts of patients they would see in a rural practice.
Also Laura Major, Monash Rural Health’s education manager Laura Major co-ordinated the annual rural and regional placement program for second year students.
“The aim of the year two rural program is to increase students’ understanding and knowledge of rural and regional health systems and the patients embedded within these communities and systems.
“We find that the program does change some students’ intentions about doing rural placements. This is due to the immersive nature of the year two rural experience.
“Students are immersed in the community, undertaking rural industry excursions, visiting rural GP practices and encountering rural patients in a clinical setting either in a GP practice or in a rural/regional hospital setting.
“Students tell us they find their rural experience to be fun, welcoming and challenging (in a positive way). They’re surprised at how welcoming rural patients are at wanting to engage with Monash medical students in rural areas, and this certainly continues throughout the clinical years during rural placements.
“They’re also appreciative of the support offered by all of our Monash Rural Health rural sites that deliver the program and the way in which the program is organised and structured.
Ms Major said long term, they have seen the program influences where students undertake both long-term rural placements and possibly does influence their career choices.
“Some students have never stepped foot outside urban cities until they undertake the Monash year two rural program, so if it then influences their choices of further rural placements and professional career choices, then the benefits to our local rural communities will be seen in years to come,” she said.