Broken Hill trip begins Year 3 semester
Year 3 students based in Mildura began the year with a trip to Broken Hill to see firsthand what it’s like living, working and practising in remote areas. This is Dustin Lê’s report.
Down the mine: students learned about health (and injuries) in mining during a vist to the Day Dream Mine in Broken Hill. L-R: Tom deVries, Tom Curtis, Eve Malsen, Emma Sanderson, Katrina Fernandez, Hannah Karl, Sarah Wong, Peter Stark, Michelle Seckington, Dustin Lé, Alex Rofe, Hashm Albarki
It was only our second week in Mildura and Mildura’s Year 3B students were off to another state. I guess it’s quite easy to travel interstate when you live on the border! Early on a Tuesday morning, Year 3B along with Kate Murdoch, Jenny Timmis and Howard Cook we departed Mildura in our exclusive private bus to Broken Hill, NSW. The wildlife was prolific, with emus and kangaroos bounding across the road.
By the time we arrived in Broken Hill and stepped off the bus, we were hit by a tremendous 45 degree heat wave !
Our first stop in this hot remote town was to the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS). Through exploring the museum, we were educated about how this invaluable service provides patrons with what is their only source of healthcare over an extensive area, almost the size of the USA ! More incredible is that the flight crew only consists of the pilot, doctor and sometimes a nurse – a stark contrast to the hospital setting where a multitude of health professionals are always on hand to help with any condition.
This experience at the RFDS was made even more memorable by the fact that the desk of John Flynn (founder of the RFDS), was flown in where a radio broadcast of the entire event occurred the next day. Peter Stark, a Year 3 medical student who had recently finished one of his John Flynn placements, was interviewed over the radio at the event to discuss his experiences and his views of the placement and the RFDS.
As the day progressed we went to Thankakali, a youth centre for local Indigenous children, who are taught aboriginal dances and informed about local Indigenous health issues. We thoroughly enjoyed being taught these dances by the children, who interacted with us cheerfully and confidently. It appeared that the youth centre has a significant impact on these children, providing them with a source of joy and support.
During the evening we met Paige Thompson, a Monash medicine graduate who studied Year 3 in Mildura and returned as an intern. Paige is now placed in Broken Hill at Maari Ma Indigenous Health Services and is pursuing a career in rural health, and possibly the RFDS!
The following day we visited the Day Dream Mine, and learnt about the various injuries that a person can sustain from working in mines, as well as the conditions they faced back in the day of full production. This ranged from respiratory issues to plain trauma from working tools, demonstrating injuries that are rare in metropolitan areas.
Overall the Broken Hill trip provided us with valuable firsthand insight on remote and rural Australia, particularly since access to health care for individuals in this region is significantly less compared to those from metropolitan areas. We were also able to recognise how fortunate rural Australia is to be serviced by the RFDS. While a flight to a patient requiring aid could take 2 hours, a critical timeframe in which a patient’s condition could deteriorate rapidly, they are able to reach patients and save lives daily.
Our trip was not without mishap when our private bus overheated on departure, with no mechanic available to assess the bus! However we made it home eventually, slowly, but safely. We are grateful to have had this experience and look forward to many rewarding rural experiences this year!
– Dustin Lê