![\"New](\"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/files\/2014\/08\/EG-Student-Exchange-Gracie-Soutar1.jpg\")
New Zealand exchange student, Gracie Soutar, was based in Bairnsdale.<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/files\/2014\/08\/EG-Student-Exchange-Natlie-Ron.jpg\")
New Zealand exchange student, Natalie Ron, who was based in Sale.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Year 4 students from the Monash School of Rural Health East & South Gippsland have spent two weeks in New Zealand. Mayuri Raviskanthan<\/a> from the SRH Bairnsdale and Jo Borgelt<\/a> from the Sale site were part of an exchange program initiated by Otago University. At the same time, New Zealand year 5 students, Gracie Souter and Natalie Ron, were in Bairnsdale and Sale respectively.<\/p>\n The exchange program was set up some years ago between the two schools, emanating from the friendship between SRH East Gippsland director Dr David Campbell and his close friend and colleague, the late Dr Pat Farry. Both men are highly respected for their contribution to rural medicine and GP education. Both have also been honoured by the Queen in their respective countries\u2019 honours list.<\/p>\n Otago University offers its medical students the opportunity for rural practice experience through its Rural Medical Immersion Program while Monash University allows students to study medicine in a rural setting through its School of Rural Health.<\/p>\n According to Gracie, New Zealand\u2019s fifth year is the equivalent of Monash’s Year 4.<\/p>\n A \u201ccity girl\u201d from Auckland, Gracie jumped at the chance to study medicine in a rural setting. \u201cThat\u2019s why I applied for the exchange program,\u201d she added. \u201cI chose to do it (the course). It is exciting, interesting and a great opportunity to do more medicine while seeing the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Medicine runs in her family; she has a sister studying medicine at Flinders University in Adelaide.<\/p>\n Gracie was keen to compare the health of rural people in New Zealand and Australia which she said was \u201cslightly different\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a fantastic opportunity to see what happens here (Bairnsdale),\u201d she said. \u201cIt was also great to work so closely with the local General Practitioners in both a hospital and clinical setting.\u201d<\/p>\n Gracie said Maori health was a significant part of the training in New Zealand. \u201cWe not only learn the language but we tailor consultations in a culturally appropriate way. The health problems for Australia\u2019s Indigenous people are very different.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Gracie, it is \u201ctoo early\u201d to think about her field of specialising yet. \u201cI\u2019m still enjoying everything but I really enjoy GP work and the continuity of care. I also enjoy surgery. It\u2019s important to get a mix of these things.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie, from the rural area of Masterton in New Zealand, has spent her exchange in Sale.<\/p>\n She embraced the chance to see many more patients on her exchange. \u201cIt\u2019s much more hands-on for students here and that is the major appeal of the course,\u201d she said. \u201cI also found people here much more stoic.\u201d<\/p>\n However she said health issues were similar between Sale and Masterton. \u201cThe teachers and doctors here are especially helpful \u2013 it seems like everyone loves teaching,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Natalie appreciated her time spent in surgery at Sale hospital however she too is undecided about the area of medicine in which to specialise although it will be surgery of some kind.<\/p>\n Meanwhile another highlight of the connection between the two medical schools is an annual knowledge competition between East Gippsland medical students and their New Zealand counterparts. They compete for the Pat Farry Memorial Trophy (see additional story).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Four medical students\u00a0 – two from East Gippsland and two from New Zealand \u2013 exchanged places recently, experiencing each other\u2019s courses and cultures. Year 4 students from the Monash School of Rural Health East & South Gippsland have spent two weeks in New Zealand. Mayuri Raviskanthan from the SRH Bairnsdale and Jo Borgelt from the […]<\/p>\n Read More...<\/a>","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3335,2082],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3354"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3362,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354\/revisions\/3362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.monash.edu\/rural-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}