Trainees under Wimmera wing

Horsham health clinics have taken a group of trainee doctors under their wing.

The four Deakin University medical students have been in the Wimmera’s capital since January, experiencing regional and rural medical care on a 12-month placement.

Wally Noonan and Belle Culhane, at Read Street Medical Clinic, and Joseph Kilby and Chris Black, at Lister House Medical Clinic, divide their time working alongside general practitioners and at Wimmera Base Hospital.

Mr Kilby said the placement had given the group opportunity to hone skills with more cooperative patients and highly skilled mentors.

“The people’s scope of practice here is incredible,” he said.

“We’ve been given quite a hands-on role, so you can skill yourself up pretty well.

“That’s probably due in part to the patients being more obliging as well. They’re quite keen for you to be involved in their care. There are very few times you’ll get kicked back.”

Mr Kilby said while regional doctors might be ‘highlyskilled’ in their field, this usually meant they were also working harder than their metropolitan counterparts.

“I think most of the people who do work here tend to be worked pretty hard, particularly the GPS because they are like the coalface of healthcare,” he said.

“They tend to do a fair bit more here in terms of managing cases.

“I think it’s a bit of a doubleedged sword.”

The group unanimously agreed however, that a ‘small town’ and medical team offered a sense of community and connection.

They said Horsham was full of welcoming and familiar faces and places, as opposed to a big city where anonymity was often prevalent.

“Even being a student, you’re able to fit in really quickly and really comfortably,” Mr Noonan said.

“There is that sense of community. You’re seeing people from the hospital down at cafes and restaurants or around town.

“Everyone is friendly enough that you can just strike up conversations and slot in.”