To be a recipient of this scholarship from Australian Rotary Health would give me more time to dedicate towards study, more opportunities to get involved in local community activities and allow me to facilitate a better study/life balance throughout the year. Extra financial support will make it easier for me to make the most out of my rural year and ensure that I have a healthy balance between study, clinical experiences, community engagement and social, cultural and sporting events. I would love to be able to fully participate in what the community has to offer and not shy away due to financial obligations.

Studying medicine can feel all-consuming and seem like an endless undertaking. It can also be incredibly easy to lose perspective and become burnt out, which is something I have experienced first-hand, in my first year of medical school. What made a real difference towards my mental health last year was meeting people outside of my year group and getting involved in my favourite team sport, netball, once a week, which I fully intend on doing this year! Having the opportunity to spend a portion of my free time meeting some locals and getting in some exercise not only benefits my physical health, but also my mental health and wellbeing and allows me to return to return to study with fresh eyes and a positive outlook.

Since high school, I have consistently held a part-time job so that I was able to support myself financially throughout my undergraduate degree. When I started medical school, I had to stop working because a part-time job was not suitable for the demanding workload that medical school entails, particularly for those coming from a non-science background such as myself.  Having additional financial support would enable me to purchase a few essential textbooks for the clinical years, which I would not otherwise be able to buy. It would also mean I could prioritise more time to studying, completing after-hours placements or engaging in community activities as opposed to looking for a part-time job to keep up with living costs.

There have been some fantastic opportunities for extracurricular and after-hours placements throughout the region that, with the support of this scholarship, I would be able to undertake. It would be incredibly valuable learning experience to take-up an offer from one of the visiting surgeons at Young Hospital to spend a day shadowing them in Wagga Wagga. With the assistance from the scholarship, it would also give me the ability to say yes to spending one week in Orange to further develop my clinical skills and knowledge in paediatric medicine, which is an optional learning experience that I’m not sure I will be able to afford otherwise. I am sure there will be countless more educational opportunities afforded to me while I am in Young and I would love to have the ability to accept them.

Over the past eight months I have had an incredible time learning at the hands of the knowledgeable local GPs and emergency doctors. I have spent my time split between the emergency department and the GP rooms which has been a great mixture of acute medicine and chronic disease medicine, both areas with their own challenges. I have thoroughly enjoyed being actively involved in the treatment of patients in the emergency department, which while initially very overwhelming has been the highlight of the year for me. From being asked to take a history and examine the patient at the beginning of the year to now being able to come up with my own treatment plan, it has been an excellent way to improve my clinical reasoning, knowledge and practical skills. Similarly, I have learnt how important multidisciplinary care and preventative health is for patients with chronic diseases, particularly individuals with diabetes, COPD and cardiovascular disease.

I’m also lucky to have had so many opportunities to sit in with local allied health teams to gain an insight into what their job entails and the crucial role they play in the overall management of an individual. This has been extremely useful to understand what happens when doctors refer patients to physiotherapists for pulmonary and cardiac rehab, to early intervention for speech and occupational therapy, to the pharmacy for medication advice and to the aged care assessment team for an assessment of how elderly patients are managing with their activities of daily living. I am also very grateful to the Elouera Special School in Cootamundra for allowing me the privilege of spending the day shadowing their teachers and gaining first-hand knowledge around the education of children with learning difficulties or behavioural problems.

This year I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the quaint streets of Young, the surrounding country towns and getting to know some of the locals. I got involved with the local hockey club in their twilight social competition and spent many warm Sunday afternoons learning how to trap and pass the ball, I even managed to score a goal! I attended several rotary meetings at the Young Services Club where I met some of the members and got to share a bit about my journey through medicine (including how I ended up in Young!). In a few weeks, I am volunteering at the annual Young Agricultural Show with one of the local GPs to provide free blood pressure measurements, blood sugar levels and education around as cardiovascular health to patrons.

Time is going by so fast and I’m not ready for my rural year to end. In fact, I’ve already looked in to returning next year for a short-term placement! From the nurses who took me under their wing from day one to the doctors who always make time in their busy schedules to provide extra teaching and ward rounds, it has been an incredibly valuable and rewarding year in Young.