Transcript for Medical Careers Pathways - Rural Generalist Pathway
[Text on screen] Medical Career Pathways. Discover the specialty that’s right for you.
Rural Generalist
>>> Dr David Molhoek
[Text on screen] Dr David Molhoek, Senior Medical Officer, Emerald.
Hello, I'm Dr. David Molhoek. I am a rural generalist and anaesthetist in Emerald Hospital
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
[Text on screen] Dr Rachael McDermott, Rural Generalist Provisional Fellow, Emerald.
Hi, my name is Rachel. I'm one of the provisional fellow SMOs out at Emerald Hospital. I currently work 0.5 at the hospital doing ED or anaesthetics and 0.5 at one of our local GP practices as well.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
As a student, I had exposure to a number of different rural sites across southeast Queensland, and I really enjoyed the medicine that I was dealing with. I really enjoyed that you were in one second in the labour ward delivering a baby, the next you are in theatre doing operative work, then you're in ED dealing with a trauma. I really found that diversity of work really was quite interesting to me, and so I wanted to pursue that for my own career,
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
So it's actually my grandparents and my extended family that live in rural New South Wales that encouraged me or inspired me to become a doctor and especially a rural generalist because I've seen the disparity in their access to medical treatment and help when they've needed it, and so I think back when I started, I was like, Ah, I'll go down there and fill that gap. But now I've come out to Emerald and done that here, so it's actually been really rewarding in that regard.
[Text on screen] Advantages of regional medical training.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
One of the perks to working in a rural area for me has been just the incredible exposure that I’ve had to a number of different conditions and to treatments and procedures because you are it. If someone comes in and they're sick and there's nobody else on call or around you're the one who has to deal with it. I was at a conference recently and there were a bunch of senior clinicians talking about things that they've done and experienced and I found as a relatively junior doctor I had had a very wide breadth of exposure in my three years as a rural generalist in a rural area. It does give you a few premature grey hairs but it also does grow and develop you as a clinician and so I’ve been very fortunate to have a very broad exposure in my clinical practice.
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
I came to Emerald as a PHO, and I really enjoyed it here. I think the team here is absolutely amazing and really supportive. We're a really close-knit bunch of people, but we're also very welcoming to anyone who is thinking of coming to Emerald. We have a great variety of AST’s (Advanced Skills Training) here as well, and I think the students really learn from that as well, so they can come to the theatre and do some anaesthetic time, or they can do ED obstetrics and mental health as well. So I think Emerald's a great place to come and learn as a student, and as I said before, get your hands dirty and experience that rural generalist life.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
The benefits of working in a regional community, it does feel great to be working somewhere where you know that you are directly having an impact on the health and wellbeing of the community. Knowing that this is a relatively small town, and it punches well above its weight with regards to exports and agriculture and mining, that we are directly contributing to our economy as a state and as a country by supporting the health of our people in the community. So, it does feel good to really be contributing in a direct way and people are generally grateful to have doctors who are living in town and who are here who are able to provide them great care.
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
I really enjoy Emerald because the community here is great, I feel like they really rally around the doctors here and the schools, and the access to really good cafes here is really great as well, so that's made my time here really enjoyable, as well as working with a really great team.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
Emerald as a rural community has got a lot going for it as well, we've got some great cafes and restaurants which I think keep us happy. There are beautiful botanical gardens, there is the dam nearby in town and we're a stone's throw away from Carnarvon gorge, which is a world-class destination. So if we want to there's lots of things on our doorstep but probably one of the biggest perks is just being a smaller town there is a great sense of community here and we get the chance to be a part of that.
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
I think working rurally has really been satisfying because you're really putting those ASTs, that we've been trained in, to really good use here. So people don't have to travel away, you're getting that really great satisfaction from your work as well when you see the job has been completed in the hands of your own team and full circle care.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
For students wanting to apply to be a rural generalist, I think one of the key things is to be enthusiastic about rural medicine and to have shown a prior interest in exploring rural areas. Also engaging with your royal health clubs as well to get some exposure to different parts across Australia can be a really great way to see what's done rurally and to really give you a chance to know what rural medicine is all about.
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
But it's becoming more and more competitive and more popular, so I definitely encourage people to get their hands dirty and get that experience.
[Text on screen] Pathway to Fellowship with Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and/or The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
To become a rural generalist, you will need to apply to the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway. The pathway is five years full-time, consisting of three training periods:
- Pre-vocational (which are postgraduate years one to two),
- Advanced Skills Training (which is postgraduate year three), and
- Vocational Training (postgraduate years four and five).
Vocational training completes Fellowship with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and/or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
The prerequisite entry requirements for specialty training on the Rural Generalist Pathway include;
- Successful completion of a medical degree from an accredited Australian or New Zealand university and to be in the final year of study at the time of application,
- Hold an intern applicant group status A or B for medical graduates of Australian or new Zealand universities,
- Possess Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency,
- Have received or be eligible upon graduation for provisional medical registration with the medical board of Australia.
Applications open in approximately March of each year; however prospective trainees can express an interest in joining the pathway at any time. Once a trainee is ready to enter vocational training, contact your regional training organisation. In Queensland there are two regional training organisations, James Cook University General Practice Training and General Practice Training Queensland.
>>> Dr Rachael McDermott
Emerald's been really great for me so far in the nine months that I've been here. It's been a really great supportive, welcoming team, and the exposure between GP anaesthetics and ED has been phenomenal, and I would really just encourage anyone who wanted to train regionally to especially think about Emerald because it's just a great place to be.
>>> Dr David Molhoek
I have no regrets in choosing to be a rural generalist. It's a pathway that is a bit of an adventure; it can keep you on your toes at times, but I think the learning that I've had through this experience, the opportunity to give back to our community, and just the great teamwork environment that I've had really has made it worthwhile, so I have no regrets about choosing to be a rural generalist.
[Text on screen] Discover the specialty that’s right for you in Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Southern Queensland. rcs.medicine.uq.edu.au/regional-training-hubs
Disclaimer: Training pathway information is current as at July 2020 and subject to change. Please check and confirm specific details with relevant Colleges and health authorities directly.
This production was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health as part of the Regional Training Hubs initiative. The University of Queensland acknowledges the support of Dr David Molhoek, Dr Rachel McDermott and Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service.
[The University of Queensland crest appears on screen] Create change. Find out more at uq.edu.au
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