Echuca Regional Health chief executive Robyn Lindsay, University of Melbourne deputy director of medical student education — Echuca Evan Goh, Echuca Regional Health chief medical officer Annemarie Newth, Department of Rural Health head and director of medical student education Julian Wright and Uncle Des Morgan.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
University of Melbourne postgraduate medicine students can now complete their second-year studies in Echuca, thanks to a new partnership between the university and Echuca Regional Health.
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Previously supporting Rural Clinical School third- and fourth-year students, the collaboration offers more opportunities to undertake clinical and practical education.
The Department of Rural Health education hub was officially opened on Monday, February 3, designed to be a space for students to learn from and use while staying in Echuca.
At the launch, Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Des Morgan performed a Welcome to Country, sharing his family’s connections to health in the region and the Melbourne Medical School.
Uncle Des’ mother is the namesake of the Viney Morgan Aboriginal Medical Service in Cummeragunja, while his daughter-in-law studied and his grandson is currently enrolled in the University of Melbourne medicine program.
The University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health Echuca education hub. Photos: Emily Donohoe.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health head and director of medical student education Julian Wright was thrilled to see the department’s capacity expand.
“Although we’ve been working with students here since 2008, this today marks a milestone in the first time we’ve had a University of Melbourne hub building,” Professor Wright said.
“The idea is to provide a place that students can come and study and do their lectures and learning, but also have it in a place where it’s so integrated in the hospital.
“I think it’s a statement of our relationship with the University of Melbourne and with Echuca Regional Health.”
Echuca Regional Health chief medical officer Annemarie Newth, University of Melbourne deputy director of medical student education — Echuca Evan Goh, and Department of Rural Health head and director of medical student education Julian Wright.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
Echuca Regional Health chief medical officer Annemarie Newth echoed these sentiments.
She also highlighted the potential for students to stay in the region and provide their services after graduation.
“It’s a really big step in creating that vibrant health and education campus, which really becomes a defining feature of Echuca Regional Health,” she said.
“It is also huge for the community, because it’s bringing a medical workforce that we desperately need.
“We have gone from having a few scattered medical students here and there ... this way we now have consistent year-two, -three and -four students staying here for longer.”
Students Abigail Rowe, Kalli Morton and Bridget Pallon.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
Originally from Mildura, MD4 (medical year-four) student Abigail Rowe undertook her third year of medicine in Echuca and will finish her fourth year in town.
She has welcomed the additional year of study becoming available through the partnership with ERH.
“The reason I came to Echuca in the first place was to get increasingly closer to home and study in a place that is quite similar,” she said.
“It means such exciting things for someone like me who is interested in training and working rurally.
“It’s a universal opinion that all the doctors in Echuca are so generous with their time and just so passionate about the area, they just want to teach and pass on that information to the (next) generation.”
Campaspe Shire Council manager economy and business Austin Ley, University of Melbourne Goulburn Valley regional training hub manager Claire Hahnel, Department of Rural Health department manager Julianne Aloe, rural clinical school manager Kate Kent and Campaspe Shire Council economic development manager Astrid O’Farrell.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
Ms Rowe believes the new education hub facility will be a great resource, both for classes and as a place away from home and the hospital to study and spend time with peers.
“MD4 is less studying and more placement, but for those students in the below years to have a place that’s theirs to study will just be so great,” she said.
“It means they’re not always locked in their rooms, they don’t get that cabin fever, and they get a bit more space and resources.”
University of Melbourne associate professor Leslie Fisher and students Max Waller, Tomas Dowler and Xavier Kendall.
Photo by
Emily Donohoe
Dr Newth is confident that the extended study offering will improve retention rates, particularly as staff and patient relationships build with the students.
“We know that the longer our students stay — or the longer anyone stays in an area — particularly over 12 months, your retention of those people in the area is much higher,” she said.
“From a strategic point of view, this is a really important step to creating that (and) embedding people here early on who may then choose to stay here.
“It means our staff know who the students are. It means our staff can help support students.”
