Community & Business
27 April, 2024
Medical students return to north
A COHORT of 18 health students will be visiting the region for clinic placement at the end of this month, with hopes to grow the number of GPs, doctors and other specialists on the Tablelands.
This will be the third time these students will be in the region as a part of the GROW Rural North Queensland’s Future Health Workforce project, which has helped support young medical students secure jobs in rural and regional areas.
From Friday 26 April to Sunday 28 April, the students will reacquaint themselves with each other and the communities of the Mareeba and Tablelands regions.
They will engage in a disaster recovery scenario highlighting collaborative learning and the role that community plays in disaster recovery, undertake skills sessions with local high school students and plant native trees at Mareeba Hospital in appreciation of the Mareeba community and their health professionals.
Sharing the development of GROW Rural as a workforce solution program is The Doctor House Yungaburra practice principal Dr Diana House.
Dr House originally assisted with the selection process of the medical GROW Rural students and subsequently came on board as a GROW Rural clinical skill session facilitator, as well as a community billet for the students during their annual visits.
Earlier this year Dr House also supervised the first GROW Rural NQ clinical placement for third–year medical student Lucinda Connolly.
“I think what makes GROW Rural really special is it doesn't focus on one modality,” Dr House said.
“You have the medical students, allied health students, and you bring them all together and you show how they can all work together in rural communities and achieve really positive outcomes for the community and patients individually.
“That's really, really special. This program is all encompassing and valuable to communities as well as to prospective rural employees when they finish their degrees.”
It is believed several GROW students have expressed their interest in staying the region after completing their studies.
