The QRGP has partnered with BUSHFIRE (Bond University Society of Health for Indigenous and Rural Experience) and St George Hospital, South West Hospital and Health Service to establish the QRGP Rural Generalist Experience Bursary. The Bursary is designed to support BUSHFIRE students to experience rural life and medicine via a week-long placement in St George.
Bond medical students Nicole Russell and Hannah O’Brien were the successful applicants of the inaugural Bursary, and they have recently returned from their placement. Nicole and Hannah share their placement highlights and how the experience provided them with a real glimpse into life as a Rural Generalist. Dr Adam Coltzau, St George Director of Medical Services, also shares why hands on rural placements, like the Bursary, are valuable for both medical students and rural communities.
Our rewarding experience in rural medicine
In August, we set out on an adventure from the Gold Coast to St George to explore life as a Rural Generalist. During our week-long rural placement at St George Hospital, we received a warm welcome by both the hospital and the medical clinic teams, whose kindness made for a genuinely fulfilling experience.
The breadth of opportunities we had during our stay was incredible. We gained invaluable hands-on experience engaging in procedural skills, history taking, and physical examinations in the emergency department. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly witnessing the beginning of a new life – the birth of a baby, and we were thrilled to perform the new baby check.
We were encouraged to ask questions, show initiative, and immerse ourselves in a wide range of presentations from sheep pox and seizures, to dog bites and wound management. The phrase ‘no two days are the same’ definitely rings true as a Rural Generalist. The variety of presentations make for an exciting day in rural health.
In the hospital we had the pleasure of meeting the intern and some medical and nursing students, adding an extra layer of joy to our placement. We shared stories and learned about their experiences, the duration of their placements, and the various outreach and rural sites they had visited. Their enthusiasm and insight enriched our own learning and made our time even more rewarding.
The local doctors impressed us with their exceptional medical expertise and skills and their deep patient connections. Their hospitality was outstanding – they invited us into their homes for dinner, showed us around their farms, and made us feel welcome. They extended an open invitation for us to return to St George any time – as tourists, students, or future doctors! We forged genuine friendships with students and doctors alike – we believe this symbolises the strong sense of community and comradery that a rural setting offers.
Our accommodation was exceptional. We stayed both in town with Allied Health professionals, and on the hospital grounds. Both locations offered amazing facilities that made our stay comfortable and enjoyable. We explored the local shire making regular visits to the river, a local winery, and nearby towns like Dalby, Moree, Nindigully, Thallon, and Mungindi.
Our experience in St George was more than just a placement; it was a glimpse of rural medicine in a welcoming community. Thank you to the QRGP and BUSHFIRE Rural Health Club for making this possible. We encourage other students to immerse themselves in a rural healthcare environment like we did. This experience created a newfound desire to pursue a career as a Rural Generalist.
Inspiring the next generation
Dr Adam Coltzau is a long-standing practising Rural Generalist in St George and a strong supporter of initiatives like the Bursary that provide medical students with hands-on experience that broadens their understanding of rural medicine and has the potential to deliver lasting benefits to rural communities.
‘It was a pleasure to have Nicole and Hannah with us for the week – they were both fantastic and very enthusiastic. It was an eye-opening experience for them, and it was evident that they thoroughly enjoyed exploring the region and seeing firsthand how different and rewarding rural medicine is.’
‘Participating in initiatives like the QRGP’s Bursary is really important to us. It is a great opportunity to provide students with a hands-on positive experience, which increases rural healthcare awareness and may lead to return visits, positively influence their future career intentions, and potentially result in future workforce for our region. I came to St George as a medical student and am still here 25 years later. We have a great community and team and it’s wonderful to be able to share that with the next generation of doctors coming through.’