What makes a medical student or intern want to become a rural generalist? And what does that journey look like?
A rural generalist is a doctor who provides healthcare to regional, rural or remote communities. They are trained in primary care, emergency medicine and an advanced skill to meet the health needs of their rural community. This is in one of a number of disciplines, with the most common being obstetrics, palliative care, emergency medicine or anaesthetics. Rural generalists are a vital piece of Australia's healthcare system, bridging healthcare gaps in areas where there aren’t those other medical specialists.
In this episode, we ask three doctors who are early on in their rural generalist career, what their role is like, from the good days to the more challenging ones:
Dr Casey O’Connor - PGY6 doctor at Latrobe Regional Hospital, working in palliative care. She is part of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners training program.
Dr Rachel Sultana - PGY2 doctor at the West Gippsland Health Group in the paediatric ward. She is on the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine training pathway.
Dr Will Hardy - PGY2 doctor at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service. He is on the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine training pathway.
For more information about the study and training opportunities across regional Victoria, head to the Monash Rural Health website.
The North West Victoria and Gippsland Regional Training Hubs have commissioned this podcast to help medical students and junior doctors learn more about training and practising medicine in regional Australia. Find your nearest Regional Training Hub here.