News

The Regional Training Hubs network is releasing a new series of the Destination Medicine© podcasts at 14:00 (EDST) on Wednesday 11 November. Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA) Rural Health Chair, Sarah Clark, has welcomed the release of a new series of Destination Medicine© podcasts designed to provide insights from medical students around Australia about applying to study medicine. 

Ms Clark enthused about the variety of the stories of the application process from medical students. “For me these podcasts enhance the wealth of information found on university medical school websites. These podcasts are a personalised, accessible and equitable source of information for rural and regional high school students too.” 

Sarah congratulated the national Regional Training Hubs on adding to the information available to support high school and non-medical students interested in studying medicine, especially where this interest lay in regional and rural study and training. “Not every pathway into rural medicine is a straight-forward one and these stories are so candid and encouraging. The practical advice offered in the podcasts is particularly useful during this time, where other face-to-face opportunities to hear about the process of applying to study medicine have had to be restricted.” 

These podcasts complement an existing podcast project about rural medical careers by the national network of Regional Training Hubs. One goal of the “Hubs”, which were created in 2017 by the Federal Government, was to encourage and identify students interested in studying medicine rurally, and then supporting them to complete as much of their medical training as possible within regional and rural areas.  Supporting people interested in applying for medicine through podcasts provides equity of access for students in regional and rural areas. 

 

Episode 1 – Angus McGinness  (USYD)

After dabbling in architecture, it was radiology that brought Angus McGinness into health.  But it was medicine that finally engaged Angus to his long-term career. His biggest message: you don’t have to be the-best-of-the-best to gain entry. There are many pathways into medical school – you just need to investigate your best options, understand the processes involved, and get going!  

Episode 2 – Imogen Hines (UNDA Rural Clinical School Wagga Wagga)

How does a city girl and professional cyclist find a passion for rural medicine – and how could not speaking Norwegian change an entire career path? That’s been the case for one student whose fateful choice to embrace medicine has taken her to Wagga Wagga – and she wouldn’t be anywhere else. 

Episode 3 – Bree Gardoll (UNSW Rural Clinical School Wagga Wagga)

Even in primary school Bree Gardoll had started thinking about being a doctor. There were no doctors in her Goondiwindi family but with the encouragement of family and friends, and with a lot of planning, her application into medical school was successful and she’s now well on her way. How did she do it? 

Episode 4 – Anna Leckie (USYD)

What do you do when you love jazz saxophone and you love medicine? Both, of course! That’s what Anna Leckie did in pursuing a first degree in music before heading straight into medicine. Now she has no regrets on either front - and returning to the School of Rural Health in Orange as a fourth-year postgraduate medical student has provided her with the best of both worlds.    

 

Upcoming Episodes

Lily Hogan (UNSW RCS Wagga ) is a Riverina local having grown up on a sheep and cropping farm at Bethungra, going to school in Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga. She believes growing up on a farm instilled in her the resilience and determination that has played a big part in her degree.  UNSW RCS Wagga Wagga 

Leah-Monique Dowling (Monash) was told to lower her sights, that medicine was too big a stretch. But that just made her all the more determined to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. 

Lachlan Carroll  (Monash) No calling from a young age, no chemistry in high school, yet Lachlan Carroll is now a third-year Monash undergraduate studying in Mildura and he’s embracing his medical career. He was slow off the mark in making up his mind, and a gap year certainly helped him assess his options. 

Kumail (pr. Coo-mell) Jaffry (Monash) and his family arrived in Mildura as refugees when he was just a small boy. Before starting school he spoke no English – though he knew other languages – but even at a young age, one thing was for sure: Kumail wanted to become a doctor and save lives. 

Amy Thwaites (USYD) grew up with a mother who was a GP, so studying medicine might have seemed like the obvious choice but it didn’t cross Amy’s mind.  A career in performing arts took preference, and she has loved the road she finally took to medicine. 

Joseph Freeman (USYD)  has taken a circuitous route to studying medicine and his advice to others is not to panic if you don’t get into medical school at first. He’s proved the point, journeying from an outdoor recreation certificate at TAFE to studying postgraduate medicine in Dubbo.

 

Media Opportunities

Invitation & link to  ZOOM launch  14:00 Wednesday 11 November 2020 https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/FM7vCYW8MvHLYn3Ru97NDz?domain=uni-sydney.zoom.us  

 

Interviews are available with the following:

Sarah Clark     Chair, Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA) Rural Health based in

Wagga Wagga

Imogen Hines   UNDA Rural Clinical School Wagga Wagga graduating student.  Based in Wagga Wagga.

Bree Gardoll   UNSW Rural Clinical School Wagga Wagga graduating student based in Wagga Wagga

A/Prof Michael Brydon   Dean UNDA Rural Clinical School

For media information and to arrange interviews, please contact: 

Fran Trench Executive Officer Riverina Regional Training Hub fran.trench@nd.edu.au 0413893974

Nancy Merlo PR & Communications Coordinator Office of Communications, Sydney The University of Notre Dame Australia T +61 2 8204 4044 nancy.merlo@nd.edu.au