Local health services have been injected with seven fresh faces eager to learn all about regional medicine.
The Rural Clinical School Of WA Busselton has welcomed third year post-graduate medical students from the University of WA and the University of Notre Dame.
The students will based in Busselton for 12 months, working out of the health campus and general practices as well as travelling to Bunbury and Margaret River.
The Rural Clinical School Of WA Busselton lead medical coordinator Sarah Moore said there were huge benefits to receiving a regional placement for young medical students.
These benefits include one-on-one supervision, hands-on training and experiencing a broad spectrum of health services from paediatrics to indigenous health.
She said the purpose of the program was to help build a rural workforce and students would be encouraged to engage with the community.
“A lot of students do come back after they’ve left and they really do gain a brand new perspective from their regional placement,” she said.
“When they are here, they are part of the family, there is a lot of mentoring and we support them as they navigate their training and consider their career pathways.”
Student Joe Ipsen agreed the learning environment, and lifestyle in the South West, was second to none.
“I’ve had a lot of friends do regional or rural placements and they say great things so we all feel really lucky to be here and in this program,” he said.
“If you are on a surgery placement in a Perth hospital there are eight to 10 students, plus four junior doctors – you can’t even stand in the same room as the person you are following so this one-on-one support and this training style is hugely beneficial.”