Medical students try country life

Narrabri GPs Dr Rohana and Dr Dilini outlined the career and lifestyle opportunities of life in the country to 20 medical and healthcare students earlier this month.

The students visited Narrabri on a road trip across regional NSW designed to encourage future doctors, nurses, and other allied health professionals to consider the benefits and rewards of a rural health career.

Hosted and funded by NSW Rural Doctors Network, trip two (of four this year) of the ‘Go Rural’ road trips brought students on an eye-opening journey across the Hunter/New England region, including a dinner stop at Narrabri.

RDN Future Workforce Project Lead Eleanor Knight says ‘Go Rural’ provided students with ‘unique and valuable experiences in the towns they visit and the rewarding rural health careers on offer.’

“Since 2019, RDN’s annual ‘Go Rural’ road trips have provided over three hundred students with opportunities to experience the benefits of working and living in rural
communities,” she said.

“These trips have encouraged many students to choose a career in rural health.”

Program lead Ella Roch-Perks is six months into her own Sydney relocation, also moving from a rural town in Ardmore, Ireland, and came along for her second rural excursion.

“The students were pleasantly inspired,” said Ms Roch-Perks.

“We took them to six to nine towns in four days and showed the students the lifestyle around working in these settings by exposing them to hospitals, community events, and farm visits.

“We had phenomenal feedback from a mix of metro and rural students and nearly all of them felt more encouraged to pursue a rural placement.”

“We had a fantastic dinner in Narrabri with mayor Ron Campbell, deputy mayor Darrell Tiemens, Narrabri Chamber of Commerce president Russell Stewart, and Narrabri doctors Dr Rohana Wanasinghe and Dr Dilini Pathiratne,” she said.

“Dr. Rohana gave an inspiring talk about his experience and journey in Narrabri. We were a group of about 20 only stopping in for a night but the community feeling was very prevalent in Narrabri, especially the fact that the council members came.”

Doctor Rohana, who moved to Narrabri almost 10 years ago was happy to share his own rural healthcare story, and after being won over by community medicine, hopes to inspire more students to give it a go.

“It is important to increase awareness of what providing healthcare looks like in rural communities and get young professionals interested in life in the country,” said Dr Rohana.

“What I love about being out here is the close-knit communities, you really get to know the background of your patients, and you treat and become a part of their whole families.”

Doctor Rohana offered placement opportunities to anyone who was passionate about coming and experiencing regional practice for themselves so they may gain more exposure to the diverse opportunities that come with the occupation.

“An enjoyable part of the work is the challenges, that you would not have in an urban environment, over here we have limited facilities, but see something different every day,” Dr Rohana said.

“In my six days a week, I see all different cases, I am in general practice, surgery, ED, treating skin cancer, whatever you want to accomplish out here, you will have the independence to pursue.”

In addition to ‘Go Rural’, RDN offers several scholarships and opportunities focusing on attracting and building a larger and more sustainable workforce in remote, rural, and regional communities.

Now more than ever the health of our rural communities is dependent on the successful recruitment and retention of enthusiastic and dedicated healthcare professionals who are such a valued and integral part of their local communities.