Medical Student Numbers Increasing at Tamworth

Wednesday 23 March 2005

Edwina Lamrock, a 5th year medical student from the University of Newcastle, enjoyed her training at Tamworth so much, she has returned to complete the final year of her medical degree.

In 2004, Edwina spent the entire year based at the University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) in Tamworth, where she completed rotations in paediatrics, obstetrics, medicine and surgery.

Edwina said, "The support and teaching at Tamworth is excellent and as a student you are really made to feel part of the team. The overall experience was so positive that I decided to continue on in my final year and I am planning to spend large portions of this year training in Tamworth."

Director of UDRH, Professor Peter Jones said "Half of the courses of the University of Newcastle's medical degree are now offered at Tamworth, enabling students to potentially spend the final two and a half years of their clinical training time in rural settings across New England."

The University of Newcastle's UDRH was established on the grounds of Tamworth Base Hospital in 2002. One of the key aims being to increase the undergraduate rural training opportunities for medical and allied health students of the University of Newcastle.

Professor Jones said, "This year, it is anticipated that there will be nearly 400 University of Newcastle students from the Disciplines of Nursing, Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Radiography, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Occupational Therapy spending part of their undergraduate degree training in the rural areas of the Hunter New England Region."

"The long-term goal of this project is to provide students with positive experiences of living, training and working in the country, and increase the future health professional workforce in rural and regional areas, to meet the needs of an ageing population."

"The early signs of the program are encouraging. After only three years there are already many new graduates, who have been through a UDRH placement, starting work in rural areas," said Professor Jones.

For media interviews with Edwina Lamrock, contact Sue Hombsch on (02) 6767 8462 or for more information regarding the UDRH program contact Professor Peter Jones, Director of UDRH, on (02) 6767 8462.