6 / 10
@ElsevierAUS
What is different about
working in rural and
remote areas?
One of the differences, clinically,
working as a Doctor in a rural practice
is understanding your reality and what’s
around you. So for example, you don’t
have the same amount of resources
around you and you really have to think
and work with your patients to make
sure you’re getting the right diagnosis.
You just can’t refer someone in the
same town to the Endocrinologist or
specialist or the Neurologist because
that means that patient has to travel
about 400 or 500km, plus an overnights
accommodation, to get a 20 minute
consult, which is nothing in the city.
So, it really makes you think: What are
you doing for this patient and what are
you trying to get out of it for the patient?
Because you don’t have access to CT
scans, ultrasounds and all these sorts
of things at your fingertips. Patients
understand and are quite willing to
travel in these sorts of areas and work
with you because, like I said, they’re very
fortunate to have those sorts of services
there, and they really trust your opinion.
I think the expectation of working in an
urban environment, in order to get better
care, everyone has to be referred off and as
a GP you can feel like you’re just triaging
and making referrals left right and centre.
I guess ina sortof a rural or remote context,
even more so, there are patients you hold
onto, that you will treat and therefore
your knowledge level has to be increased
in certain areas and that really helps.
What advice would you give
to students going on a rural
or remote placement?
I would definitely advise them to go with
an open mind. And certainly, while we like
to think that medicine and science is an
absolute and wherever we go it will be the
same, it’s not. So certainly go with an open
mindandenjoy theplace that you’regoing.
While we like to think that
medicine and science is an
absolute and wherever we
go it will be the same, it’s
not. So certainly go with an
open mind...
There are many parts of Australia that
people haven’t seen. And there
are fascinating landscapes. It’s a
place where you can learn a lot
about yourself if you embrace the
environment and where you’re going.
Also, the opportunities to meet a lot of
Aboriginal people who are living and
working and doing their stuff on their
country and their quite connected to
culture and place. I think that’s really
valuable, I think you can learn a lot from
people in rural, remote areas like that.