About
Being a doctor is all about giving back.
Giving back to people and communities. That contribution to communities is especially important in rural and regional areas of Australia. We know there’s a continuing shortage of doctors in the country that is contributing to Australia’s rural health crisis. We need more doctors who understand the unique challenges and rewards of regional life. More regional medical students studying in rural and regional NSW means more doctors in our region and our communities can access treatment closer to home.
I’m very excited to be overseeing a School of Rural Medicine that will not only enable students like you to develop your skills while studying in rural areas but encourage you to remain there as you forge your career in medicine.
Professor Lesley Forster Dean, School of Rural Medicine
You’ll get hands-on from the very start through this highly practical course with clinical learning from your first weeks of study. You’ll explore diverse rural clinical settings and then in your third, fourth and fifth years you’ll extend your professional skills through full-time clinical and community placements. This will include surgery, medicine, critical care, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and medicine in context rotations.
Also as part of your third, fourth and fifth year you will undertake research in an area of interest. This is a great opportunity to support exciting new developments in regional healthcare.
You’ll learn in our state-of-the-art facilities including our brand new academic hub and clinical skills learning centre. You’ll be well prepared for your future in medicine when you get hands-on experience in our anatomy teaching laboratory, simulation hospital wards, interactive study pods and ultrasound room. Throughout the course you’ll work closely with the local health industry. Strong industry connections are just one of the ways you’ll be well prepared to take on your medical internship before you step into your future career in medicine.
Regional healthcare is dynamic healthcare. As a rural practitioner, you may well be the only doctor that your patients have access to. That means you need to deal with whoever – and whatever – walks through the door. You’ll get to diagnose and treat a wide range of symptoms, diseases and illnesses – some of which would tend to be passed straight onto specialists in an urban area. Out in the regions, you are the person who has the answers, and you are likely to get the opportunity to perform a greater number of procedures than your city counterparts.
The Joint Program in Medicine will prepare you for a rewarding career in medicine. You’ll be well prepared to combat the shortage of doctors in rural and regional Australia and have the opportunity to address Indigenous and remote healthcare issues. This is your opportunity to make a difference in your community. With our Doctor of Medicine, you can study regionally, on campus in Orange, and be at the cutting edge of the future of medicine in Australia.