First year medical students observing in Rockhampton

15 Dec 2020
UQ Year 1 medical student Hannah Bates

Hannah Bates is getting her first real taste of medicine in a clinical setting as she undertakes her First Year Observership opportunity in Rockhampton, as part of The University of Queensland (UQ) Doctor of Medicine Program.

After one week observing at the Rockhampton Base Hospital, Hannah says the experience has been invaluable and has definitely put a future rural medical career on her radar.

“Being in a smaller hospital means I have the opportunity to learn directly from senior doctors and actually interact with patients.

“Rural doctors make do with limited resources, which creates a challenging but rewarding working environment that is extremely valuable and educational to be a part of,” she said.

Hannah says she never had a single lightbulb moment that drew her to medicine, but rather a gradual idea that grew in time.

“When I graduated from high school in 2016, I chose to study a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne because the course was so broad, and I didn’t have to decide where I wanted to end up straight away.

“It wasn’t until my second year, where I had a chance to take subjects in anatomy and physiology that I realised that was where my passions lay, and at the end of the year I set out to apply for medicine,” she said.

Hannah has been looking forward to undertaking the observership in a regional location and getting a more ‘hands on’ experience.

“I applied to do my observership in Rockhampton because I want to learn more about life and healthcare in regional and remote areas of Australia.

“I am not from a rural background and have never spent much time in a hospital, however, I’m excited by the close-knit community, the smaller number of hospital staff and a greater variety of patients that come with being outside of a large city hospital,” she said.

Hannah is one of eight Year 1 UQ medical students who are undertaking their First Year Observership at UQ Rural Clinical School Rockhampton.

 

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