THE Sale area has a new crop of budding doctors.
Undergraduate medical students from Monash University Clayton Campus and postgraduate medical students from the Monash University Gippsland Medical School Churchill Campus have begun placement at the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School Sale campus at Central Gippsland Health Service.
The undergraduate students from Clayton began their medical degrees after completing year 12, while the postgraduate students from Churchill began their medical degrees after already completing a university degree in another field of study.
The eight third year medical students and seven fourth year students will spend the entire year in Gippsland learning from local doctors and specialists.
Students undertaking third year placement are based at Sale hospital for the 12 months, while fourth year students are based at various medical practices and are each supervised by a general practitioner.
East Gippsland Regional Clinical School academic co-ordinator Loy Perryman said this was the eighth year the third year students had been included in the program at Sale and it was the third year fourth year students had taken part.
She said the Sale campus had been a popular choice with students in placement years.
“We wanted to provide students with the opportunity of working in a rural setting,” she said.
“We’re quite fortunate to receive significant amount of first preferences for students wanting to come here.
“It gives students the opportunity to work in an environment related to rural health.”
Ms Perryman said the placement program gave students a first hand look at what it was like to practice medicine in a rural environment.
Third year graduate medical student Cassie Coetzee, who has been studying at the Gippsland Medical School at Churchill, said she enjoyed being in a rural environment.
“I didn’t want to go to the city,” she said.
“I want to stay rural and don’t see myself working in the city.
“The patients and the community are so accepting of us as students and our desire to learn.
“The staff are helpful and friendly too.”
During their time in Sale, the medical students will be performing medical procedures they have been certified to perform, under the supervision of senior staff.
For more read Friday’s Gippsland Times.
