AMSA 2023 Internship Guide

WA COUNTRY
HEALTH SERVICE
WHY CHOOSE RURAL?
Completing a rural internship or a rural rotation is a unique, challenging and
ultimately rewarding experience. There are many reasons including:
Multi-disciplinary environment: You become an integral part of a supportive
multi-disciplinary team and relied upon. It is your chance to learn from
experienced clinicians and liaise directly with allied health and external groups
regarding patient care (e.g. Royal Flying Doctors Service). A sense of collegiality
is at the forefront of the WA rural experience.
One-on-one learning: The small clinical teams offer close supervision and
support by senior clinicians giving you one-on-one learning opportunities, no
longer found in most large tertiary hospitals.
Increased exposure to procedural skills: There is an increased scope for
procedural practice as there are less people on training programs queuing in
front of you. You get to experience things like lumbar punctures, chest drains,
ultrasound guided cannula insertion and you actually get into the theatre....
regularly!
A generalist approach: Working in a rural environment offers the opportunity to
gain exposure to a variety of disciplines regardless of your term, enhancing the
development of your knowledge and skillset.
Longitudinal exposure to patient care: Great breadth of experience and a variety
of cases through frontline involvement with your patients from admission to
discharge and beyond. In the country you will also find that you continue to see
the patient in follow-up clinics. Experiencing patient care from beginning to
end gives a holistic view of medicine that is not often available in the
increasingly specialised metro hospitals.
Autonomy and responsibility: The greater autonomy you have is balanced by
the additional responsibility; however you are always supervised and supported.
It is a unique chance to build your understanding of country practice and the
decisions required in light of limited resources, patient desire to remain at
home and the distances involved.
Work-life Balance: Being within a 5-minute drive to work, you have more time
to pursue activities outside the hospital. Not only are you part of a supportive
close-knit team at work, you can experience the life within a strong community.
Whether you enjoy the great outdoors relishing in bushwalking or water sports,
are activity seeking sporting communities, appreciative of the arts or a lover of
fine local cuisine and award-winning wines, there is something for everyone in
rural WA.