Forbes Medical Centre has welcomed two new medical students, who this week began their 12 month placement in Forbes.
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The third year medical students from the University of Wollongong (UOW) are the second lot to complete a year-long placement in Forbes, as part of a five-year partnership between UOW and Forbes Medical Centre.
Tristan Scott, a paramedic from Kiama, and Shane Cameron, a registered nurse from Blackheath, arrived in Forbes last weekend and said they are very excited to be here and are already loving it.
“It’s great, I’m enjoying it,” Tristan said.
“There’s a diverse range of patients and the doctors and people in town have been really kind and welcoming.”
Both Tristan and Shane said they are looking forward to practicing medicine rurally and learning a lot from being in the country.
“It’s a different way of practicing medicine; you are limited by distance between services and also there’s a social difference - it’s a completely different context of medicine,” Shane said.
“It’s also nicer to live in the country,” Tristan added.
“I did my undergrad degree in Bathurst, so I was looking forward to coming back to the central west.”
Dr Neale Somes, who will be supervising the students, said that it’s well established that students who train in the country, stay in the country and hopes the UOW students will be more likely to return on the completion of their studies.
“We think if we train them in Forbes, they are more likely to stay in Forbes,” he said.
The year-long placement at a medical centre is quite unique in medical training but both students said it’s great experience.
“Most med schools base education around the hospital but I think you learn much more in the context of a medical centre,” Shane said.
“You’re working from the bottom - you don’t know what’s wrong with the patient when they come to you.
“It’s problem-oriented medicine...which is the best way to learn.”
Tristan said it’s great to be able to be here for the whole treatment of someone, from a person who is diagnosed with cancer to when they’re in remission to a pregnant woman until she gives birth.
“We’re dealing with a range of patient problems from when they come in to diagnosing to how a problem is resolved - it’s a special privilege to do that,” he said.
Dr Somes said the 12 month placement will truly help to shape these doctors.
“In the past, we’ve had students here for two or four weeks, which is just a bit of a taster,” he said.
“Twelve months is not just a taster, it’s a real commitment and enables us and the town to have a real influence on what type of doctors they’ll be and what type of community they’ll later serve as doctors.”
