Ten Lessons from a Year in Rural General Practice

Jasmine Davis University of Melbourne Rural Clinical School (VII)

In 2020, I was lucky enough to undertake a year long placement in Rural General Practice as part of Melbourne University’s Extended Rural Cohort program. In this program, I was given the opportunity to shadow some incredibly talented Rural Generalists in Echuca who have worked in the field for 30+ years. Reflecting upon this experience, I’ve penned ten key lessons.

1General Practice is the centre of rural healthcare and every medical student should experience it; 2 3 4

A good GP can add many years to a patient’s life;

There is nothing more beautiful than being part of a woman’s antenatal care then meeting their baby; You can work in General Practice for 35 years and still see something you’ve never seen before;

5 7 8 9

Being able to conduct a history, examination and formulate a treatment plan in 10 minutes is a true art;

It is possible to get 10,000 steps from one day of shadowing a Rural Generalist;

GP’s can often know that something is not quite right with their regular patient before the patient even opens their mouth;

Being a medical student often means you are in charge of ensuring the child is entertained while a parent has their appointment - a great part of the job; and

6

Clinic nurses and midwives are incredibly skilled and so important in the success of a General Practice;

10

We need more committed, communityminded GP’s with a diverse set of skills in our country towns.

About the Author:

Jasmine Davis is an MD/MPH student studying at the University of Melbourne in the Rural Clinical School. She has completed placements in Shepparton and Echuca as part of the Extended Rural Cohort. In 2021, she is studying a Masters of Public Health, completing subjects in health economics, policy, promotion and Indigenous health. Jasmine is also a previous volunteer for AMSA Rural Health and currently sits on the AMSA National Executive as the National Projects Officer.