 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
     |
||
 |
 |
||
|
|
Medical studentsYear 3: Rural attachments
Course StructureYear 3 students at FMC are divided into five groups and undertake a rotational program ( five blocks of 8 weeks) to cover the following topics:
The General Practice TermThe General Practice term builds upon the introductory teaching in the first two years, especially the GP intensive teaching week that is run in the Transition to Clinical Practice Unit. It comprises a three and a half week program based around two main locations in general practice, Urban and Rural. There are four main components of the program which is integrated throughout the Women’s and Children’s Health term:
Rural General Practice Attachment Information
Rural and remote Australian communities have long suffered from an inadequate supply of general practitioners. There are many reasons for this, but often there has been a perception that a career in the country meant cultural deprivation, limited social networks and limited education and employment opportunities for family members. It is therefore important the students have the opportunity to meet a wide array of very skilled doctors who have actively chosen a career in rural medicine. In the third year of the Graduate Entry Medical Program the Flinders Medical Centre and Northern Territory-based students are placed on a two week Rural General Practice Attachment. This placement is designed and aimed to offer students an "immersion" with a supervising General Practitioner. Where possible students are encouraged to stay with the doctor and their family to gain some insight into the way of rural practice. Rural General Practice Attachment AimsIn short, the aims of the two week Rural General Practice Attachment for Year 3 students are:
It is intended and hoped that the ‘immersion’ will enable students to see how people work in the context of smaller somewhat closer knit communities. The supervising doctors are encouraged to give students as much patient exposure as possible and to allow participation in supervised procedural work. Application of knowledge can often be the key to retention of information. The consulting and treatment rooms of rural doctors’ surgeries, with doctors who have long-standing, trusting relationships with their patients, can provide the ideal opportunity for students to observe a wide variety of medical conditions. At the same time they have been able to blend professional exposure with a public life, develop friendships and retain a high degree of professional autonomy and satisfaction. Targeted rural skills logbookYr 3 Targeted Rural Skills Logbook (PDF) Yr 3 Targeted Rural Skills Logbook (MS Word) The targeted rural skills logbook should be used to focus learning objectives in the rural attachment and differences between rural and urban practices highlighted. This logbook contains three different types of consultation skill or activity.
At the beginning of the attachment this logbook should be discussed with the supervising GP and used to maintain the focus of the two weeks. The logbook can be used in the Portfolio interview in a similar way to the urban attachment. These learning objectives occur in the context of the entire General Practice component of the course and are complementary to any urban attachment students may undertake. In-Training Progress Record (ITPR) (Green Sheet)The In Training Progress Record is the form in use for all clinical teachers in Year Three which sets out to assess students in key areas. Each GP supervisor’s assessment will contribute only a small percentage to the student’s overall in-training mark for Year Three. Supervisors are encouraged to assess students as fairly and objectively as possible with the main purpose being to give feedback to students on their strengths and areas for improvement to assist them to develop their skills in the remainder of the year. ITPR’s are mailed to the GP supervisors prior to the attachment and are to be promptly returned to the Rural Placements Coordinator after the placement. Students should remind their General Practice Supervisors to complete these forms and allow them to see and sign them. Other Placement TasksConfirmation Student placements to rural areas in South Australia are coordinated by the Rural Placements Coordinator, Melissa Watters, in the Flinders University Rural Clinical School. Every effort is made to suitably match student choices with the available placements and accommodation and these details are provided to the student in writing. Generally accommodation is with the General Practitioner although this does vary from location to location. Hospital or billeted accommodation is available in some areas. Students should confirm their placements with the practices a minimum of two weeks prior to allow adequate planning and timetabling to be made. Students are, however, requested not to contact General Practitioners until their placement details have been provided by the Rural Placements Coordinator (a request made by the General Practitioners). Evaluation of General Practice Preceptors All students are asked to complete an evaluation of their General Practice Preceptors (Supervisors). Travel subsidies will only be paid when this evaluation form has been returned to Liz Milford in the Flinders University Rural Clinical School. The evaluations are invaluable to us determining the success or otherwise of our placements so we ask you to return them promptly. Two downloadable versions of the form are available:
Travel Claims Students are entitled to apply for reimbursement of travel expenses which will be up to the equivalent of the return bus fare to the location but only payable on the presentation of claim forms, receipts (petrol, airfare, busfare etc) and feedback forms. It should be noted that students do NOT have to take bus transport to claim travel costs, this is simply the easiest and most equitable way to set a base rate for each location. Claim forms will be distributed with student information letters and feedback forms prior to the placement. Please see Liz Milford in the Flinders University Rural Clinical School for more information if required. Two downloadable versions of the form are available:
Rural GP Attendance Log sheet GPs participating in the Rural GP student placement program are entitled to Practice Incentive Payments (PIP). A list of all student attendances in General Practices is required to be sent to the GP Branch, Department of Health and Ageing every three months. To assist this process, a copy of your Rural GP Attendance Log sheet needs to be forwarded to the rural placement staff.
Example locations
A special request is made to all Rural General Practice placement students to submit any photographs or information on placements to add to these pages. Thankyou! Tourism links
Regions
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Updated August 27, 2008 |