Fifth year Monash University medical student Patryck Lloyd-Donald has said rural placements were advantageous during medical school as having small class sizes and strong relationships with both junior and senior medical staff meant that he was better prepared for his senior clinical years. He also said that as a group, the students in his cohort who had gone on rural clinical placements were over-represented in the high scores for his year’s final exams at the end of 2014.

In 2013 and 2014, Patryck completed rural clinical rotations in Bendigo, Maryborough (Victoria) and Mildura, during his 3rd and 4th years of medical school.

Patryck said that the benefits of rural placements included:

• Having 30 cannulae under his belt by June in 3rd year gave him a leg-up come examination time
• Being able to assess each patient with the diagnostic work up he developed, and come up with the management plan and review patients under a strong supervisor safety net during a six month general practice placement in 4th year
• Delivering vaginal births before their city colleagues had set foot in a birthing suite in 4th year
• First class training with fully equipped simulation labs and teaching by leading consultants and professors

So that medical students can get a taste of rural life, Rural Workforce Agencies around Australia are holding a number of Go Rural events for medical students from March to June in locations such as Coles Bay in Tasmania, the Goldfields region in Western Australia and in Gippsland, Victoria.

The national Go Rural campaign starts this week, with the aim of attracting students and young doctors to the country. CEO of Rural Health Workforce Australia Greg Mundy says “Going rural is definitely the best medicine for young health professionals” and that “the variety, the opportunities, the financial incentives – they all add up to a ticket to a first-class career.”

More articles on My Health Career:

• Rural health – why and how could YOU get involved? by Ben Crough
• Overcoming barriers to university – a rural perspective – by Georgia Woodhouse
• Are you illegally taking clinical images with your mobile device?
• Promoting your research through traditional media, social media and blogging
• Upskilling online made possible by Monash University

Coles Bay image – Robyn Jay – flickr