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@ElsevierAUS
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
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
‘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...’