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Rural Health |
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Rural Health Curriculum
At the Tasmanian School of Medicine, the Medical Graduate Profile (MGP) defines the attributes that students should exhibit on graduation. The MGP defines the educational outcomes that align teaching, learning and assessment. The outcomes are grouped within the five themes which underpin the MBBS. It is proposed to organise the Rural Health curriculum on a Place, People and Practice framework.
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Place |
People |
Practice |
Understands the Australian health Care System including its funding, planning and major national priorities and contrasts this with the global context of healthcare provision. (T3) |
Demonstrates appropriate and effective communication skills in a variety of settings. (T2) |
Demonstrates the ability to perform clinical procedures, especially those required in life saving situations. (T1) |
Understands the social, political, economic, environmental, cultural and spiritual factors that impact upon the health of individuals and communities. (T3) |
Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in the healthcare team setting. (T2) |
Demonstrates an ability to integrate Understands the principles involved in the effective utilisation of hospital and community based resources and networks. (T3) |
Understands the various roles of the doctor in health promotion, health maintenance, disease prevention and treatment at both population health and individual patient levels. (T3) |
Understands the special needs of certain communities including access and equity issues. (T3) |
Demonstrates the ability to develop, in consultation, an appropriate patient-centred management plan. (T5) |
Understands the role of technology in medicine. (T1) |
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Understands the principles of quality improvement, risk management and patient safety. (T4) |
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Demonstrates a commitment to compassionate, professional and ethical behaviour. (T4) |
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Demonstrates an ability to integrate and synthesise disparate material to arrive at the most appropriate solution to a problem. (T5) |
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Demonstrates the ability to develop, in consultation, an appropriate patient-centred management plan. (T5) |
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Overview of Program
All medical courses must provide a rural and indigenous health curriculum, provide support for rural students and make provision for all students to spend a minimum of four weeks on a structured, residential placement in a rural area to gain practical insights into rural communities and work and health of the people who live there.
First year
The first year rural health curriculum focuses on Place. In first year, first semester, students are early introduced to the context of Rural Health through lectures, seminars and workshops. This is followed by a one-week residential intensive in the north-west of Tasmania where they can experience the context of rural health through a range of activities.
Second Year
The second year rural health curriculum focuses on People. Rural week is offered later in first semester to second year medical students (CAM201) with the cohort being divided into three groups. The three groups will be hosted in locations around the state. All groups have patient contact, interact with medical students in the clinical years, participate in master classes and have outreach and industry visits.
Third Year
The third year Rural Health curriculum focuses on Practice. The third year two-week rural General Practice placement sits within the Primary Care rotation in which students are introduced to the role and relevance Primary Health Care for the health of individuals and communities. The focus is on General Practice with an emphasis on consulting skills, community care, health promotion and prevention.
Fourth & Fifth Year
In Years 4 and 5 approximately half of the Tasmanian cohort will complete their medical education in rural hospitals at Launceston and Burnie.
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SCHOLARSHIPS
The need for more doctors in rural and remote Australia is widely recognised, and many communities have identified having a local doctor as high on their list of health priorities. Those awarded these Scholarship will be making a real contribution towards meeting these rural health needs. Some scholarships are associated with admission to the TSoM, others are available to undergraduates already enrolled at the TSoM.
Bonded Medical Places
The BMP Scheme offers students a greater chance of entry into medical school by providing funding to universities for more than 600 additional commencing Commonwealth supported medical school places each year. These extra places are intended to provide more doctors for areas experiencing doctor shortages. If you accept a BMP Scheme place, you will sign a formal Deed of Agreement with the Australian Government and agree to work in a District of Workforce Shortage of your choice for a period of time equal to the length of your medical degree upon completion of your medical studies.
Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships (MRBS)
The Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme provides 100 scholarships of more than $23,000 a year, indexed annually and currently tax free, to new medical students prepared to commit to at least six years of rural practice once they complete their basic medical and postgraduate training. See: www.health.gov.au/mrbscholarships
Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS) Scheme
RAMUS scholarships are targeted at medical students from a rural background who need financial support to assist with their accommodation, travel and living expenses while they are studying medicine. Successful applicants receive a scholarship of $10,000 a year during their medical studies subject to satisfactory progress through their course and continuing financial need. RAMUS scholarships are open to Australian citizens or permanent residents who have lived in a rural area for a minimum of 5 consecutive or 8 cumulative years, commencing from the age of five years. Applicants are also required to join their university Rural Health Club, and participate in the Rural Doctor Mentor Scheme, for the duration of their scholarship. Scholarship holders are free to work wherever they wish after graduating and qualifying as a medical practitioner. See: www.acrrm.org.au
John Flynn Placement Program
The John Flynn Placement Program (JFPP) was established in 1997 as integral part of the Australian Government's long-term strategy to attract more rural doctors and improve the quality of health care in rural areas. Working closely with a rural doctor mentor and the placement community, medical students develop an overview of the challenges and rewards associated with rural medical practice and non-metropolitan health care services. Each year approximately 150 new placements are made available. An amount of $500 per week will be paid to cover for food and living expenses while on placement. Costs of travel and accommodation will be organised and paid for by ACRRM, who is the national management agency for the program. There is one application round per year. See: http://www.acrrm.org.au/main.asp?NodeID=194
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Rural Clinical School Scholarships & Bursaries
In addition to the scholarships, bursaries and awards available through the Department of Health and Ageing, the University of Tasmania and the School of Medicine, a number of scholarships, bursaries and awards are available to students studying at the Rural Clinical School. Some scholarships are provided as an incentive for medical students to undertake part of their training in rural areas. Others provide unique clinical experiences to RCS students. Details are on the RCS website:
Hoc Mai Student Bursary
The Rural Clinical School, in collaboration with Hoc Mai, the Australian Vietnam Medical Foundation, offers a $5,000 student bursary each year to enable an RCS student to travel to Vietnam during the summer vacation to undertake an elective at the Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi. The bursary covers return airfares, accommodation and other expenses during the stay.
Australian Rotary Health Research Fund (ARHRF) Scholarships
Two $5,000 scholarships are awarded each year to medical students studying at the RCS to encourage students to consider pursuing future medical careers in rural Australia. The scholarships also link students to local Rotary clubs to gain a better appreciation of the richness of rural community life. AHRHF offers scholarships Australia-wide for medical students attending the network of Rural Clinical Schools around Australia.
GPNW Simon Monks Memorial Award for Excellence in General Practice
GPNW offers a $3,000 award to honour the memory of Dr Simon Monks and to acknowledge excellence in General Practice by a fifth year RCS medical student. Dr Monks was a highly respected partner in the East Devonport Medical Centre and a GPNW Board member who was actively involved in teaching and mentoring RCS students prior to his sudden and unexpected death in March 2007.
The Rotary Club of Wynyard Scholarship in Rural Medicine
The Rotary Club of Wynyard will offer this scholarship to a student commencing the final two years of clinical studies in the MBBS at the Rural Clinical School in 2009. The scholarship will encourage and support a student with an interest in rural medicine to study at the RCS. The scholarship will be offered over a two-year period, subject to the recipient's satisfactory performance, and will be valued at $2,500 per annum.
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Links
Rural Doctors Association of Australia
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
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