The largest regional gathering of Rural Medical Cadets took place in Port Macquarie over the weekend as the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) welcomed 53 cadets and more than 200 people for a variety of educational conferences, workshops, activities, and networking opportunities.
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The attendees included rural and regional GPs, their families, delegates, and speakers
RDN hosted a New Rural GP Orientation workshop, Student Day and Refresher Conference, Advanced Life Support Courses and presented the GP Refresher Conference with Rural Doctors Association of NSW and hosted a conference dinner on Saturday evening.
The cadets form part of the Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadetship and Indigenous Cadetship Programs, run by RDN on behalf of the NSW Ministry of Health.
The programs financially support medical students interested in undertaking a career in rural health, who also agree to undertake two of the first three years of their hospital training in an eligible rural NSW hospital.
RDN's Future Workforce Manager, Chris Russell, said the weekend provided Cadets with a unique and invaluable networking opportunity to hear first-hand from regional and rural GPs about why they chose country NSW.
"Cadets are our ambassadors for the future rural health workforce and this weekend offered them an amazing, and unique opportunity to engage with, and learn from, rural and regional GPs which is so important as they plan their future careers in medicine," Chris said.
Lectures across the weekend spanned a range of clinical subjects and rural practice issues from a presentation on cyber security by Regional Australia Bank, and on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) by RDA NSW, to the new Voluntary Assisted Dying framework, head and neck cancer, complex mental health encounters, dementia, and more.
Amongst many highlights of the weekend was the appreciation felt by the participants of the New Rural GP Orientation workshop which is fully funded by RDN and designed to support GPs in transition to rural general practice.
It featured presentations on a range of topics including medico-legal issues, pathways to Fellowship, and Indigenous health.
Taree newcomer, Dr Mounia Torche, arrived from Algeria five years ago with no English and, having just commenced practising in Australia, spoke highly of the conference and new-found friendships made.
"When I joined this conference, it clarified many questions in my head - it's outstanding," Dr Torche said.
"I am a person who likes face-to-face better than online, and this is interactive, and you can ask a question, and you understand better..." she said.
"I really encourage [other international medical graduates] to join this kind of event because it will open their eyes on how they will practise every day - medical-legal things, women's health, mental health and also about our future as GPs in Australia."
RDN Practice and Workforce Support Lead, Kristy Seysener, was delighted to welcome the latest group of new rural doctors to Port Macquarie.
"As always our delegates made the most of building their networks and providing peer support to one another," she said.
"Myself and my colleague, Alannah from the Practice and Workforce Support team, really enjoyed our time getting to know each of our delegates on a personal level, and the chance to build a relationship.
"We look forward to providing each of our doctors with ongoing support."
RDN conducts a number of orientation workshops to support new rural doctors each year. The initiative is particularly useful for International Medical Graduates, with doctors from the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa represented at the Port Macquarie workshop.
The workshops are open, and beneficial, to anyone new to practising in rural and regional NSW.
The next event will take place in Parkes on July 25 and 26.
