My Rural Story

GP town at the moment. It will be two GPs and a student when I’m there so I think I’ll get a lot more experience there. I’m the only student who’s taken up the opportunity in my final year to go rural, but I just think it will be fantastic. I’ll feel like I’m already there, I’ll feel like I’m making a difference. I’ll have started building community ties with an area that I would hope to go back to when I’m finished and I’ll still see everything that everyone in the city will see. In fact, I’ll probably see more. What is different about working in rural and remote areas? I think there are lots of differences between working rurally and working in a metropolitan area. I personally think there are a lot of advantages to working rurally, some would disagree. The biggest advantages I see for living in a rural area would be the fact that you’re part of a community. That sense of close-knit community. That’s a big draw card for me. It helps with the continuity of care with your patients. You’re actually able to look after your patients, not just fromwhat they present when they come into the clinic, but because you know who they live with, where they live, what their background issues are with the family; you’re able to treat them much more holistically. You obviously also see those same patients coming through the clinic, it’s

‘When I got there I had a real, oh my goodness am I still in Australia moment. It was like I’d landed in a third world country, it was just heart wrenching...’

not a GP bulk billing, in-out sort of situation, so I love that. I also love the fact that you make a real difference when you’re somebody of this profession in a small community. I love the fact that you don’t sit in traffic for three hours. I must admit that gives me more time to horse ride, so that’s a big plus. You can live in the city and be 5km away from the hospital, but be in traffic for an hour each way. That’s just wasted time to me. I’d rather be practicing medicine or spending timewithmy family. I guess because I lived rurally for those first few years of my life and, although I only have a few memories of it, they were the best memories of my life and I’d like to be able to recreate that for my daughter, so they’re the big drawcards. There are also disadvantages with working rurally. Sometimes your access to resources is not as good. Your ability to promote yourself within your chosen career can be somewhat stunted. But I think if you’re passionate to be there, and you’ve got the drive, then you’ve got

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