A Placement to Remember
The Year 2 placement in Bairnsdale travelled to the village of Bruthen, a small town (population 624) located alongside the Tambo River, approximately 25kms from Bairnsdale on the Great Alpine Road in East Gippsland. Nestled in the hills, the small town boasts the last coffee before the snow fields which gives it a daily buzz more akin to a larger town.
Sixteen Year 2 medical students visited the Bruthen Primary School, which has 44 students in all, so it was a manageable ratio to help with first aid training. The primary students were engaged from the beginning with our medical students giving them hands-on activities in small groups of mixed grade levels. Practicing CPR on our simulated equipment was a great hit as was helping locate body parts and learning how lungs work.
It was then time to feed the medical students. The Year 2 students had worked hard and earned a fabulous BBQ in the park.
We were very fortunate to have a paramedic from Omeo, Scott Fyfe, come to Bruthen to conduct hands on Basic Life Support sessions, complete with Jimmy, the simulated model who had fallen from his bike and later had cut his leg with an axe. The inclement weather meant we lay claim to the town’s rotunda. Wet weather failed to dampen the spirits of those involved and even engage travellers in the town who were intrigued with the activity.
The Year 2 students at Bairnsdale campus finished off the week with more community activities and in their spare time were able to explore the area and even go kayaking in the canals at Paynesville. We are sure they will take back to Melbourne stories of a great placements which combined lots of fun with a valuable learning experience.