Rural placement ‘best five weeks’ of Lucy's degree

NSW Rural Doctor’s Network cadet Lucy Vance has described her five-week rural placement in Deniliquin as “the best five weeks of her entire degree”. 

The final year University of Newcastle medical student said she was welcomed with open arms into the rural NSW Riverina town. The immersion experience formed part of Lucy’s NSW Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadetship, administered by RDN. 

The program is one of RDN’s activities to support the future rural workforce. Cadets receive up to $30,000 towards their medical degree and undertake two years of their hospital training in an eligible rural NSW hospital.

Before her placement, Lucy had been weighing up between going into surgery or going into Rural Generalism. 

“Rural Generalismfills my philanthropic cup more than surgery,” she said. 

Next year Lucy will start work as a junior medical officer intern at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and she hopes to return to Deniliquin as part of her rural rotation.

The final year University of Newcastle medical student said she was welcomed with open arms into the rural NSW Riverina town.

“Pretty much as soon as I got there I was invited over to dinner at one of the nurse’s houses and which was very lovely. And the doctors all meet once a week to have dinner. I was living with the GP registrar who had been there for a couple of months already, so I had opportunities to do things outside of the practice straight away,” Lucy said.

Lucy said during her fifth-year placement at the Deniliquin Clinic she learned to expect the unexpected.

“One day I was sitting out the back of the GP clinic just having a cup of tea and then the GP walks past and said ‘Lucy, do you want to go birth a baby?’ We literally walk across the road to the hospital, deliver the baby and then head back into the GP clinic,’” she recalled.

“I don't know where else you'd really get that sort of experience. I tell people in my cohort that story and they're all sort of gobsmacked”.

Lucy was also involved with servicing the Indigenous outreach clinic in the town where she was quickly welcomed into the community and invited to weaving classes and a women’s yarning circle.

Before her placement, Lucy had been weighing up between going into surgery or going into Rural Generalism.

“Rural Generalism feels my philanthropic cap more than surgery,” she said.

“There will always be surgeons in the world, but I think working in a job that's genuinely needed in places where people genuinely need you is sort of where I want to be career-wise. If I specialised in GP obstetrics I'd still get the surgery element that I love. I'd still get the GP primary care that I love and, you know, even throw in things like working in the ED,” she said.

Next year Lucy will start work as a junior medical officer intern at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and she hopes to return to Deniliquin as part of her rural rotation.