Rural placement can provide university students with a number of insights, as medical students have recently discovered at the Lower Eyre Family Practice and Cummins Memorial Hospital.
Matthew Marinelli, Benjamin Dawe and Dr Rory van der Linden have been working in Cummins and gaining experience in rural medicine.
Experienced Cummins GP Dr Gerard Quigley said the placements offered the students an insight into medical practice in rural areas.
“This will hopefully allow them to consider rural medicine as a viable career option and failing this, if they ultimately practise in the city it will at least educate them about the challenge rural patients are faced with,” he said.
The number of university medical students heading to the EP for placements had been static over recent years, Dr Quigley said.
“We are at capacity and we are now taking students for slightly longer rotations which is a great way for them to become more involved in the community,” he said.
Matthew Marinelli decided to do his rural placement on Eyre Peninsula after holidaying there in previous years.
“I’ve spent a lot of holidaying and visiting the sites from Whyalla through to Coffin Bay,” he said.
“I’ve wanted to move away from the city for some time and the EP is a perfect getaway, while also having the necessities and activities not too far away.”
There have been a couple of particular aspects of the placements that Matthew has enjoyed.
“I’ve personally enjoyed the practical side of a placement more, which includes taking bloods, helping in skin clinics and performing small procedures with patients.”
There have been some key learnings through the rural placements for the students, including Matthew.
“I’ve been fortunate to spend time across GP clinics, hospital care and aged care and I’ve gained some invaluable knowledge through this,” he said.
“It is very beneficial to start off thinking broadly about diagnosis and not always try to unify a patient’s symptoms but instead think of potential causes for each of them.”
Venturing to Eyre Peninsula has been a very enjoyable experience, Matthew said.
“I’ve felt welcomed and appreciated by staff and locals which in turn makes me excited to come into the clinic and hospital every day,” he said.
Ben Dawe said it was an easy choice to do his placement at Cummins.
“I’d never visited the Eyre Peninsula prior to undertaking placement in Cummins – this appealed to me as I would get to see new places,” he said.
“I’ve also heard nothing but good things about the placement in Cummins from past students, making it an easy choice.”
Since he arrived in Cummins, Ben said he has felt very welcomed by the community.
“I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in the Lower Eyre Family Practice, the hospital and at Miroma [Hostel], and I have felt appreciated throughout,” he said.
Having to move away from friends and family has been a bit of a challenge, but Ben said he welcomed the independence.
“It has also been a welcome challenge to have a higher degree of independence compared to previous placements in Adelaide.”
Originally from Kangaroo Island, Rory van der Linden graduated from medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Rural Clinical School Campus in Port Macquarie in 2022 and is now doing his Trainee Medical Officer placement at the practice and hospital, with a family holiday to Cactus Beach where he enjoyed the sea and interacting with the community.
Dr van der Linden said he had enjoyed the interaction with his patients and despite being challenged in aspects has loved the community.
“Naturally, working in a foreign healthcare system to me has been challenging, but with the help of all my colleagues this has been manageable,” he said.
“All my patients have been wonderful to work with, [plus] the community as a whole who have welcomed me in so many ways, including with a gift basket from various people and small businesses in the area.”
