From rural medical student to rural medical intern

Across the two schools, 32 students will take the next step in their health careers by completing their internship – a twelve-month block of supervised clinical training within an accredited hospital – in the same rural locations where they completed their earlier studies. Nine students will be based in Dubbo, eight will be in Orange, and fifteen will be in Lismore, with others based in rural communities such as Tamworth, Tweed and Wagga Wagga.

Among the students based in Dubbo is Maddi Dyall, who joined the School of Rural Health for her third and final years, keen to learn more about rural medicine.

“I’m looking forward to working at Dubbo Hospital; the staff have been incredibly welcoming and approachable. I’ve really enjoyed studying here and love that everything is so close which means less commuting and more time to be involved in the community,” said Maddi.

When asked about the factors that influenced their choice to stay rural many of the students referenced the opportunities available in a rural setting.

Orange local Molly Straney completed her final year at the School of Rural Health in Orange and is one of the eight students set to work at Orange Hospital next year.

“I loved the opportunity to immerse myself back into life in the town that I grew up in and which gave me so much. It's been an immense privilege to give back to the community by serving them at the hospital and I look very much forward to being able to make a more significant contribution next year. The quality of the clinical experience and teaching that I got in Orange has been exceptional. I’ve felt well supported, with excellent access to consultant doctors and unrivalled opportunities to learn and be guided through my last year as a medical student, with advice on future life as a doctor,” said Molly.

Lismore student Byron Apelt reflected on the work-life balance that can be found in a rural environment.

“It is much greater up here in the sense that you get a lot of access to consultants and the teaching is really good, but also you to have a life outside of medicine,” he said.

Fellow Lismore student Sabrina Bilston-John echoed that sentiment and called out the importance of community.

“I think people in a rural area have more time for you. That’s been obvious in the hospital – doctors and the nurses and all the allied health staff seem to have much more time for students. And I think that’s reflected outside the hospital as well, and the community aspect in the northern rivers, regardless of what town you’re in, is like very prominent,” she said.

Students also spoke about the support they’d experienced while on rural placement, and the links between the University’s rural education programs and local health clinicians. Rebecca Ward, who will stay in Lismore, spoke about the close connection between UCRH and Lismore Base Hospital.

“My experience is that people really advocate for you as a student or as a junior. You’re really valued, which I think both comes from the UCRH which is so involved with communicating with the hospital and with the consultants, and it’s always organising our placements to make our learning experience as beneficial and as deep as possible. But then also from the hospital’s point of view they’re keen to teach. It’s a small school, team consultants know you [and] you’re valued as a person,” she said.

The School of Rural Health has been offering rural placements for medical students at The University of Sydney for over 20 years. During this time nearly 1000 medical students have completed rural clinical placements at the School of Rural Health in Dubbo or Orange, providing an opportunity for students to develop their knowledge and skills to provide quality care to those in our communities and throughout rural Australia. From 2022, The University of Sydney began delivering the entire four-year Doctor of Medicine program at the School of Rural Health in Dubbo. The Dubbo Stream aims to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and rural students to build our future rural medical workforce.

The medical education program offered at UCRH is built around long rural placements – a year or more – in hospital and community settings. It aims to meet the curriculum requirements of each university but with a focus on a rural environment and is supported through a comprehensive education program of simulation and clinical skills, interprofessional learning, a tutorial program, student led case discussions and opportunities for students to undertake exam preparation.