A temporary ‘home among the gumtrees’: Riley Joyce on his Outreach Student Placement at Bourke

In May, Riley Joyce set the scene for his Outreach Student Placement Program (OSPP) as he headed out bush to Bourke, driving along the flat open roads, listening to John Williamson. There is little more ‘true blue’ than that scene as Riley arrived in the remote town of Bourke feeling “welcomed and integrated into the team” in his temporary ‘home among the gumtrees’…

The OSPP provides selected medical, nursing and allied health students in NSW/ACT with the opportunity to shadow an Outreach Provider in a rural or remote community. Riley’s placement focused on rural ophthalmology services at the Outback Eye Clinic where he shadowed Outreach provider Dr Ashish Agar.

“Dr. Agar served as an outstanding mentor. He was approachable, friendly, and consistently kept me engaged. I never felt like I was in the way; instead, he managed to explain concepts to both me and the patients, enhancing the consultation process while providing valuable teaching moments without overwhelming anyone,” Riley said of his placement.

With an emphasis on both clinical and non-clinical rural experience, Riley says some of his highlights included flying over the Blue Mountains, having his own retina scanned, learning how to use a fundoscope, visiting the Big Bogan (pictured) and simply feeling welcomed into the team with morning coffee meet ups and dinner gatherings.

The OSPP gives students an invaluable insight into the unique complexities and strengths of rural and remote healthcare with hands- on experience in clinical settings. “I learned of ways to provide specialist services to areas which cannot support full time specialists. I learned that simple barriers like transport can be the reason people fail to attend clinics,” Riley said.

Speaking on his biggest takeaway from his Outreach placement, Riley said the exposure to these specialist services to rural areas “presents an exciting opportunity in medicine to be both specialists and also work in a variety of rural locations.”