More than 120 medical students from the University of Tasmania will experience rural medical practices next week, for an immersive program preparing them to become doctors.
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Rural Week gives students in their second year of study the opportunity to experience living and working in the country, while learning how local healthcare services are accessed and delivered in those communities.
They will visit hospitals, aged care providers, health hubs and local pharmacies, under supervised clinical exposure with GPs.
Students will also meet with emergency service members and council representatives to explore models and measures promoting healthy living, while participating in a number of industry tours to observe occupational health and safety practices.
Rural Clinical School director Dr Lizzi Shires said the annual program was a crucial part of the university’s Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery curriculum.
“Rural Week has been designed to provide second-year medical students with an experiential learning opportunity where they are immersed in communities. Students will be able to talk to residents about their health and explore the services available in rural areas.
“This forms an important part of their course as it teaches them about rural health care and ensures that they understand how to deliver appropriate care to rural patients who present at city clinics and hospitals.
“We hope the Rural Week experience will encourage these students to return to study in a rural area later on in the course, and will allow them to see all the advantages of living and working in rural areas.”
The 124 medical students participating in the program will leave Hobart on Monday, and be divided into groups of four to 17, placed across 19 rural communities around the state.
