Rural Placement: A Whole New World

Hands-on training, unique tropical medicine, and memories that will last a lifetime. This is what a James Cook University (JCU) Medicine rural placement in Far North Queensland is all about.

Thursday Island is as far removed as you can get from second-year medicine student Akruthi Balaji’s hometown of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories of Canada. On her month-long remote placement, however, she immersed herself in the experience and has grown in her clinical skills and understanding of rural health care needs. Below, Akruthi shares more about her placement experience, and some of the many highlights.

What was some of the practical work you did on placement?

I spent time in hospital, in a GP practice, and in a community clinic setting — so I got to see and do a lot! I took patient histories, assisted with physical examinations, and learned cannulation and venepuncture. I also observed and assisted in plastering, wound debriding, and anaesthetics in theatre. I got to see a variety of tropical medicine cases, which are quite unique.

�� What did you learn from the experience, and what have been some of your key reflections?

A big thing I learnt was how remoteness can significantly affect one’s access to healthcare. In class at JCU, we learn a lot about the challenges of living rurally and remotely — but it really hits home when you see it in person. From Thursday Island, the next hospital to refer to is in Cairns, which is a two-hour flight away. Because of this, the staff knew how to think on their feet, and be resourceful with what was available on the island. Similarly, it’s imbued in me the immense importance of knowing your local area, and being able to stretch limited resources far. It’s also really opened my eyes to how many options there are in medicine. I’m not set on a path yet, but I did become more inspired and passionate about wanting to do medicine throughout my time there. How would you describe the sense of community up there?

I loved how welcoming everyone was. It’s quite daunting as a student, to go into a community where you don’t know anyone. It was lovely that everyone, in and out of the hospital, was welcoming to students and happy to take us places. This made for a great experience, and allowed us to get a better feel for the community. I met all sorts of people, from clinical staff to construction workers, and even some crayfish divers. Everywhere I went, people were happy to have a yarn, swap stories, and showed a genuine interest in what I had to say.

�� Did COVID-19 affect the type of work you were doing?

As a student, I mostly observed and helped with small procedures, and was not significantly affected by COVID-19. There was extra PPE we needed to wear for patients with respiratory symptoms, and we needed to COVID-swab certain patients before starting any investigation or treatment. I did see a lot of counselling encouraging patients to get vaccinated, and I also had certain vaccination requirements as a student.

What did you get up to in your downtime?

I got to see a lot in and around Thursday Island. We went on a boat trip to the inner islands, went to Friday Island, saw the sunset from Green Fort Hill, and visited the Gab Titui Cultural Centre. I also visited the Kazu Pearl Farm, went to Punsand Bay via helicopter, and played social soccer with community members every week. I was also lucky enough to go exactly in time for the ’Coming of the Light’ ceremony, which is a unique and culturally immersive experience.

How would you describe the sense of community up there?

I loved how welcoming everyone was. It’s quite daunting as a student, to go into a community where you don’t know anyone. It was lovely that everyone, in and out of the hospital, was welcoming to students and happy to take us places. This made for a great experience, and allowed us to get a better feel for the community. I met all sorts of people, from clinical staff to construction workers, and even some crayfish divers. Everywhere I went, people were happy to have a yarn, swap stories, and showed a genuine interest in what I had to say.

Did COVID-19 affect the type of work you were doing?

As a student, I mostly observed and helped with small procedures, and was not significantly affected by COVID-19. There was extra PPE we needed to wear for patients with respiratory symptoms, and we needed to COVID-swab certain patients before starting any investigation or treatment. I did see a lot of counselling encouraging patients to get vaccinated, and I also had certain vaccination requirements as a student.

What did you get up to in your downtime?

I got to see a lot in and around Thursday Island. We went on a boat trip to the inner islands, went to Friday Island, saw the sunset from Green Fort Hill, and visited the Gab Titui Cultural Centre. I also visited the Kazu Pearl Farm, went to Punsand Bay via helicopter, and played social soccer with community members every week. I was also lucky enough to go exactly in time for the ’Coming of the Light’ ceremony, which is a unique and culturally immersive experience. Did you enjoy it, and would you recommend it to others?

Yes! I had an amazing experience, and would strongly recommend it to anyone. It was great from a clinical perspective, but also fantastic to immerse myself in the rural community. You get to see things from a very different point-of-view when you’re rural, which is quite cool.

�� What’s your advice to a student preparing to go on placement?

Take the time to learn about the community you’re going to — especially about their culture and the social activities on offer. It really adds so much to the placement experience if you get yourself involved in both the hospital and the community.

�� Akruthi and a colleague at Thursday Island hospital