March 10, 2020

UOW celebrates 10 years of medical placements in the Murrumbidgee region

UOW School of Medicine prepares students for future medical practice through clinical training in the region

The University of Wollongong (UOW) will celebrate its ongoing partnerships after 10 years of delivering medical training throughout the Murrumbidgee region, particularly in Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera.

UOW Dean of Medicine, Professor Paul de Souza, will lead a delegation visiting the region on 10 and 11 March, where they will meet with local councils, clinicians and health care administrators to thank them for their ongoing support of this important clinical training initiative.

Professor de Souza said the medical program is working well, with doctors graduating from UOW opting to work in rural or regional areas.

“Wollongong is a leading university as far as successfully providing doctors for regional areas is concerned,” Professor de Souza said.

“Roughly 60 per cent of our students who enter the medical program each year come from rural areas and 60 per cent of our graduates end up working in rural and regional areas.”

Three quarters of UOW medical students undertake a long-term placement of 12 months clinical training in rural areas of NSW, with many students training rurally for much longer.

Dozens of medical students who have undertaken placements at the hospital and GP clinics over the years have felt at home in the Murrumbidgee.

“They’re made to feel very welcome, and a couple of them have started returning to complete elective placements in the region even before graduating,” Professor de Souza said.

Seventy people have registered for celebration dinners in both Leeton and Griffith this week.

“It’s an incredible response that speaks to the depth of the relationship we have with the community,” Professor de Souza said.

UOW FOCUSED ON REGIONAL DOCTORS

The University has a strong focus on preparing doctors to practise in regional, rural and remote settings through training in local general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services and local hospitals.

UOW’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program in the School of Medicine aims to assist with addressing the critical shortage of medical practitioners outside the major cities by focusing on actively recruiting students who have rural backgrounds.

A longitudinal twelve-month rural placement is a key component of the UOW medical curriculum and UOW has been investing in rural areas by placing medical students in those regions to enhance the supply flow of doctors to those regions. 

Six senior medical students are currently mid-way through their year-long clinical training placement in the Murrumbidgee region as part of their training.

Students are undertaking these placements with local doctors at Griffith Medical Centre, Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service, Your Health Griffith, Kookora Surgery, Leeton Medical Centre, Murrumbidgee Medical and Primary Care Centre and more recently Leeton Family Clinic. They also do rotations through local hospitals across the region.

MURRUMBIDGEE A “NATURAL FIT” FOR RAM KHANAL

UOW medical student Ram Khanal, from Albury, said the Murrumbidgee region was a natural fit for his 12-month placement and future medical career while remaining close to family and friends. He is very interested in a career in primary care.

“My first-hand experience of refugee camps before moving to Australia has led to an interest in promoting increased access to medical services for refugees and remote and rural communities,” said Ram.

Students regard the Murrumbidgee region as an excellent base for future clinical training following their UOW studies.

Local GP and UOW Regional Academic Leader, Dr Marion Reeves, oversees the students on placement in the region, delivering a range of tutorials and clinical skills education to students. 

Dr Reeves says UOW students benefit from access to the training and education facilities of the Baiada Murrumbidgee Training and Learning Centre at St Vincent’s Private Community Hospital Griffith (SVPCHG).

“Over the 10 years we have been working with the University, we have seen a large number of students go on to undertake further training in rural areas. As clinicians, we value the experience we receive from interaction with senior medical students and the knowledge which we gain from teaching them,” Dr Reeves said.

SARAH NOONAN EXCITED BY RURAL PLACEMENT

Medical student Sarah Noonan, currently placed with Kookora Surgery, is excited about her rural placement.

“I believe I am thriving with my learning experience in a rural town such as Griffith, with having more opportunities for hands-on experience in the local hospitals,” she said.

The training of medical students in the region has been strongly supported by Griffith City, Leeton and Narrandera Councils along with the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network and SVCPHG, as well as the local general practices.

Over 700 doctors have graduated from the UOW medical program, of which approximately 60 per cent are now working or training in rural, regional and remote communities.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Associate Professor David Garne, Director: Community, Primary, Remote and Rural
T: (02) 4221 4111
E: david_garne@uow.edu.au