The Hunter River Times

BY JEM ANSHAW

Muswellbrook Shire Council have joined the campaign to help entice doctors to the region by backing the New South Wales Rural Doctors Network Bush Bursaries program.

Katrina Kiely, councils’ community connector, explained the aim of the program is to provide medical, midwifery and nursing students the opportunity to immerse themselves into the regional way of life while undertaking placement at rural medical practices.

“Council is really happy to be endorsing the program, we think it’s a great opportunity and the more students that we can welcome to the region we hope that once they finish their studies they’ll return, or at least be advocates for our area, which is really important,” she shared.

“Council is really proactive in trying to support agencies in recruiting essential workers to our region, and this is just one way of giving students a real feel for what it’s like to live and work in the country.”

This year Muswellbrook Council will fund two medical students to come to the shire for a two-week placement where they will experience not only rural medicine, but the community life side of things as well.

During the university break period, Muswellbrook has already seen the first of these visitors in University of Wollongong student Lily Slade, who is going into her second year of studies.

“I think that the great thing about rural training and exposure in clinical settings is that every case is so unique and you are being exposed to so many different stories, which is so different to the city,” she shared when discussing how she had found her two week placement.

“I had no real idea if I wanted to specialize or GP and this placement has showed me a lot of the gaps in rural areas and the areas that I could fill that would match the things I value and am really passionate about.”

Lily spent time at Brook Medical Practice, Tresillian Muswellbrook and Denman Medical Centre, an opportunity that she looks forward to being able to share with her peers.