MORE than half of the junior doctors starting at Tamworth hospital this year have trained in the region – a firm sign that the rural health recruitment process is paying off.
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The University of Newcastle’s department of rural health welcomed on Monday 17 fifth-year and 20 fourth-year medical students who signed up for the Tamworth-based rural learning experience.
“The experience that they can have in Tamworth is a really good one for the people who are thinking about (taking the rural health path),” University of Newcastle clinical dean Dr Lauren Cone said.
“We’re also seeing a lot of students who try their training in the country actually come back as junior doctors.”
Twelve junior doctors who started at the hospital this year have done some training in the region, which Dr Cone insists is a positive sign for the future of rural medicine.
“For students, it’s one of the best teaching experiences they’ll get at medical school,” Dr Cone said.
“They’ll have almost one-on-one teaching with some of the really experienced senior physicians.
“It’s a really rich learning opportunity for them to not just come out of it book smart but to come out of it skilled and ready to do the job at hand. Seeing the number of former students who are now returning as junior doctors, or even as senior doctors and specialist trainees, speaks volumes of the really good starting experience they get when they come here as a student.”
Students at the school will do rotations across Tamworth hospital, as well as engage with the community through initiatives like teddy bear hospitals.
Among the students is Bathurst 25-year-old, Eveleigh Holden, who, after rotations at Broken Hill, Newcastle, Kununurra and Cowra, secured his first preference to undertake his final year of medicine in Tamworth.
“I always wanted to get back to the country,” he said.
“I enjoy problem solving and also the human aspect of it, and helping people.”
Student Ed Tutt, a 22-year-old Sydney man, said he was looking forward to getting involved in the community.
