Jo spent time with New Zealand medical students during her exchange.

Jo Borgelt, based this year with SRH East & South Gippsland, spent two weeks in New Zealand on exchange.

I have just returned from New Zealand having been lucky enough to be one of two students from the School of Rural Health East & South Gippsland to be given the opportunity to undertake a two-week exchange with the University of Otago. I was based in Masterton, a town on the north island with a population of around 20,000. It is about 1.5 hours’ drive north from Wellington across ‘the hill’, a section of the highway that is regularly closed due to snow in winter. (more…)

Year 5D student, Mayuri Raviskantahn, took advantage of an exchange program to experience rural medicine in New Zealand. This is her report.

Stepping onto the tarmac at Blenheim into the blistering cold weather and off a small rickety 15 seat aircraft, my very first minutes in town were a shock to the system. Despite the first impressions, however, and although I really only began to get used to the weather on the last day of my stay, the exchange program was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I could have hoped for. With a crew of fantastically welcoming 5th Year RMIP (Rural Medical Immersion Program) medical students, and equally, if not possibly more so, amazing doctors, nurses and other staff, I can’t think of a better team of people to have spent time with while I’ve been here.

On a medical level, I was given the opportunity to experience both general practice and the nature of the emergency department here. On a size basis, Blenheim is quite similar to Bairnsdale, and the population catered for is also quite similar demographically. As a result, it was interesting to directly compare the two healthcare systems and facilities side by side. (more…)

Bairnsdale Primary School’s library became a Teddy Bear Hospital recently.

The Teddy Bear Hospital is a world-wide program that provides primary school students with the opportunity to interact with student doctors. The program is an interactive way for children to experience the atmosphere at a hospital or general practice without being patients themselves.

Under the direction of Storm Holwill, a Year 4C student in School of Rural Health East Gippsland, with assistance from her fellow Year 4C students, 40 prep students and their teddies were involved in role playing.

A number of scenarios included calling an ambulance, the importance of good hygiene, healthy eating and bandaging teddies’ arms.

The event was a huge success and staff at the school indicated a return visit would be very welcome.

Wildfire Halfway Event in Mildura

The Wildfire Halfway Event in Mildura was the first of its kind organised by Wildfire in Mildura. Immediately following our mid-year exam, the Year 3 students headed down the Murray River on a very generous local consultant’s paddle steamer. After an enjoyable half hour trip up the river, and with no help from the student whose job it was to tie up the boat, we moored the boat and sat down for some lunch. Following some good unwinding time and chowing down on everything from flathead to chicken parmas to arancini balls, we headed back down the river to Mildura, stuffed to the brim and ready for a holiday.

The halfway event was a social event exemplifying the rural lifestyle and provided a focal point for celebrating making it half way through our lengthy degree. As medicine can be incredibly stressful sometimes, this provided an outlet for the students and a chance to thank the School of Rural Health Mildura staff for their hard work. It was also a rare occasion for students to ‘formally’ cease study for a short while.

Mungo National Park: Aboriginal people have walked through this landscape for thousands of years and survived extreme climate change that dried up the lakes that were once the lifeblood of the region.

Rain failed to dampen the spirits and experiences of Year 2 medical students on their annual visit to the Mungo National Park near Mildura.

Each year, the students who visit Mildura for the Year 2 rural placement program are taken by bus to Mungo National Park in the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area where they are given a tour behind the barricades with an Indigenous park ranger.

Heavy rain in the first week of the students’ placement saw the local council close the dirt road which delayed the tour by a week. The rain also forced the postponement of the school’s sports event in which many of the students participate.

This year, Mildura hosted an increased number of Year 2 students. Several new sessions were included in the busy two-week timetable. These included:

• changing the focus of the farm visit to incorporate current OH&S farm dangers such as heavy machinery, heights and mental health issues
• a panel discussion with three local patients sharing their personal health stories with an emphasis on the tyranny of distance and the impact of the lack of facilities in rural and remote areas
• School of Rural Health Mildura staff conducting interactive scenarios using the clinical skills laboratory as well as prescribing dilemmas for diabetes, and
• many of the Year 2 students participating in Teddy Bear Hospitals at local primary schools.

Simulation: Pam Harvey (left) discusses mobility aids with a student during an occupational therapy session, and (right) a student practices wound dressing in the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre.

This year’s revamped Year 2 program in Bendigo involved a mix of new and tried educational experiences.

“With a cohort of 39 students, activities were often split into three so that smaller groups could get to know each other,” said Lecturer Pam Harvey.

“This year, students travelled to either Rochester, Dingee or Lockington to visit a working dairy farm and look at health services in the town.

“These communities embraced our students, giving their time and knowledge generously,” she said, adding “community involvement was a theme of our program.”

Pam said 13 GP patients had participated in the program’s simulated general practice consultation, and volunteered to return ‘any time’.

“They willingly talked to students about their health issues, offering students insight into how people manage their daily lives while coping with often complex issues.

“Students were also able to discuss illness and its effects with two people living in the community who have had strokes.

“We called these sessions ‘Stories of Recovery’ to highlight the role that rehabilitation and community care have for people adjusting to disability,” said Pam.

The Year 2 program also saw students spend time in local hospitals with senior students, and in the skills lab with clinical educators.

“The best outcome was that nearly half of the students wanted to know how they could apply for a rural placement in Year 3,” said Pam.

“My thanks to the hard working Bendigo Year 2 team for their organisation, patience and ingenuity.”

Year 5 MBBS student Naveen Tenneti recently completed a six-week placement with the Mallee District Aboriginal Service in Mildura and gained some new insights into rural health services.

As a medical student, you always enter your first day of a new placement with nervous anticipation.

There are two factors that will come to define your experience; the willingness of the ‘team’ to include you and the patients you are dealing with.

While the fact that no-one knew I was coming certainly did not allay my fears on the first day, my six-week placement at the Mallee District Aboriginal Service in Mildura has had a strong influence on my understanding of community and Indigenous health, and left me inspired to further my understanding of primary health care (more…)

Dr Tim Spelman of the Burnet Institute introduces the evening.

The 20^th annual Matthew Campbell Memorial Evening on 2 May 2014 adopted the theme “Indigenous Wellbeing Solutions and Success” and featured stories of achievement in different fields.

The first event was organised in 1994 by then Year 2 medical student Matthew Campbell to promote awareness of Indigenous health and look at strategies that can be used to improve it. A few days after the event, Matthew was tragically killed in a car accident. Monash’s rural health club WILDFIRE continues to organise the event each year in Matthew’s memory.

Dr Tim Spelman introduced the evening this year. A public health specialist currently working with the Burnet Institute, Dr Spelman was also a classmate and close friend of Matthew Campbell and helped organise the original event. Four speakers followed Dr Spelman.

Inala Cooper, Senior Advisor of the Yulendj Indigenous Engagement Unit, discussed the University’s Indigenous Action Plan and the processes which were taken to develop it.

Ngaree Blow, the 2013 AMA Indigenous Peoples Award Winner, discussed her experience as an Indigenous medical student and work with the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association.

Dr Rob Roseby, a paediatric respiratory physician with substantial experience working in central Australia, detailed some of the tragedies and successes of his time in Alice Springs along with providing useful advice for the future practice of those attending.

Bianca Graham, the first Indigenous woman to complete the New York marathon, spoke of her experience training with the Indigenous marathon project and then completing the marathon and the effect it had on her home community in upper north Queensland. (WILDFIRE announced their involvement with the Indigenous Marathon Project.)

Speakers for the evening included (L-R) Robert Roseby, Bianca Graham, Ngaree Blow

Tom Nice from AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) attended the evening. He talked about the possible involvement of students in the program.

Each year the Paddle Prize is also awarded for an essay on that year’s theme. Alannah McLaughlin was this year’s winner for her illustrated essay on the topic.

Follow your dreams: 2013 academic award winners Matthew Howard (left) and Bree Morris (right) with guest speaker and past Olympic rower, Richard Hamilton.

After being delayed by the Gippsland bushfires in February, the School of Rural Health – Latrobe Valley and West Gippsland finally sat down to dinner to welcome the 2014 cohort of students. Fifty-five people gathered including students from Years 3B, 4C and 5D, School of Rural Health staff, tutors and general practice staff.

Past British Olympic rower, Richard Hamilton, was guest speaker. Now a farm management consultant based in Maffra, Richard started life in Plymouth. He talked about having the conviction to follow your dreams relating that he always knew he wanted to be a rower and compete at the Olympics. With such a strong vision, he was prepared to do whatever it took to get there.

Local GP and senior lecturer at Traralgon, Dr Paul Brougham, was MC for the night.

Awards for academic achievement in 2013 were presented at the dinner. Matthew Howard received the award for Year 3B and Bree Morris for Year 4C.

Forty-five battered, scruffy, highly loved teddy bears made the exciting journey with children from Parkland’s kindergarten in Morwell to attend the teddy bear hospital at Gippsland Regional Clinical School recently.

A number of Year 3B students put aside their study to introduce the children to a range of positive experiences relating to going to hospital.

Discovering x-rays and bones was a highlight for the children who got to see what our finger bones look like under our skin, plus a teddy bear x-ray. This led into a session about plastering and the lucky children were able to get their thumb or finger plastered.

Students spoke to the children abut emergencies and the number to call if there is an accident.   However, it was pleasing to see that a number of them already had this knowledge. They also got to play with stethoscopes, oxygen masks, and tendon hammers to become familiar with some common equipment they may encounter if attending hospital themselves.

Finally the weather was beautiful and allowed the children to have some time to play outside exploring the topic of exercise. Medical students Sean and Cindy even learnt how to play “duck, duck, goose” and the children’s giggles could be heard across the courtyard.

A big thank you goes to Manny’s Market Traralgon who donated a box of fresh fruit for the children to snack on and discuss healthy eating options.

Overall the teachers, parents and children from Parklands were very impressed by the professionalism shown by the Year 3B students and cannot thank Alex and the students enough for giving up their study time so close to exams to provide such a wonderful, educational learning experience for all involved.

Meagan Presley, Clinical Educator, Gippsland Regional Clinical School