The third year medical students from the University of Wollongong (UOW) will undertake a year-long placement in Forbes as part of a five year partnership between the UOW and the Forbes Medical Centre.

Dr Neale Somes said this is the fifth year of the Medical Centre’s partnership with the UOW.

“The university has made a strong commitment to the Forbes Medical Centre and the community both in terms of placing their students with us and investing in our practice so that we can continue to train the doctors of the future,” Dr Somes said.

During their placement in Forbes the students will spend time learning about general practice and working in the emergency department at the Forbes Hospital. They will also undertake placements in the community and with allied health professionals and visiting specialists.

“In the city medicine can be very specialised but here the students are exposed to general medicine, from the cradle to the grave, from obstetrics to palliative care and everything in between.” Dr Somes said.

Dr Somes is hopeful that after spending a year in Forbes, the UOW students will be more likely to return to the country to work.

“Of the previous UOW students we have had at Forbes Medical Centre, all have remained working rurally,” said Dr Somes.

“I’m optimistic that exposing students to the life of a rural generalist means they will be more likely to come back to the country to practice when they have completed their training.”