Recipients
Since 2011, the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust has provided more than $100,000 of scholarships and grants to 26 medical student recipients to pursue rural health educational experiences overseas.
Scholarships
Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Travelling Scholarship
First awarded in 2012, this is an annual scholarship for University of Otago School of Medicine 6th Year students for the purposes of their 6th year elective. It awards up to $10,000 for up to two recipients.
2019 Recipient
Cameron Toogood
Cameron Toogood
Hometown: Otaki
RMIP: Tararua
School of Medicine: Faculty of Medicine, Wellington
Cameron is a trainee intern at Palmerston North Hospital, where he now works after completing his rural immersion in Dannevirk. Cameron’s 2020 placements were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and unfortunately was cut short with COVID-19, in which he did not make it to Darwin, Australia. After Cameron’s placements were cancelled he was able to continue at rural Gisborne Hospital in anaesthetics.
Cameron’s primary goals were to learn about different strategies to overcome barriers in rural healthcare, develop his skills in limited-resource environments, and explore the possibility of engaging, collaborative international rural community projects in his career.
Cameron’s current medical interests include improving access to mental healthcare in rural settings, point-of-care ultrasound, and community-led public health initiatives. With an array of scholarships and awards, Cameron also speaks intermediate conversational Mandarin Chinese and is a beginner in French and Te Reo Māori.
Cameron is currently a trainee intern now working at Palmerston North Hospital after completing his rural immersion in Dannevirke.
Read Camerons blog series: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine: Cholangiopancreatograph…ological..isation.. | Ten: Severe Accute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
2018 Recipients
Annabel Merrett
Annabel Merrett
Hometown: Nelson
RMIP: Southland
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Annabel studied medicine at the University of Otago School of Medicine. She has completed a undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences majoring in molecular basis of Health and Disease, and is in her 5th year of a Medical Degree (MB ChB). Annabel finished her final year of medical school last year at Christchurch Hospital and a had a short stint in general practice in Invercargill.
She has just started a First year house officer placement at Christchurch Hospital, after completing a general surgery and cardiology runs, now starting a general medicine run.
Next year she is hoping to be able to do a placement at Ashburton Hospital or the West Coast to gather more rural hospital experience.
Annabel had her first elective in Pisa, Italy, she will be working in the local radiology department. This will allow her to be immersed in the local health system while testing her ability to learn new skills within radiology. After this Merrett will travel to Peru, where she will be working in the Emergency Department in Trujillo.
Annabel has received a number of commendations and scholarships for her exceptional results and projects while at the University of Otago, including a 3rd Year Distinction, a Scholarship in Biomedical Sciences and a Dunedin School of Medicine Summer Research Scholarship.
Annabel is an active student and is heavily involved in the local sports clubs and outdoor activities. She hopes to use this scholarship to connect and understand different cultures and experience rural health communities around the world.
Follow Annabel’s blog series: Fair Saturday | Virtual Reality Ultrasound | “Ponte Las Pilas” – full immersion in Trujillo, Peru
Annelise Brown
Annelise Brown
Hometown: Masterton
RMIP: Southland
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin and Wellington
Annelise is studying medicine at the University of Otago School of Medicine based both in Wellington and Dunedin. Annelise will be in Guatemala on elective, initially based in Hospital Vita Mundi which is in a small rural area called Patzun. Brown has chosen to be based in Guatemala for the entire elective as she values the importance of forming a good relationship with colleagues and patients as an important part of medicine. Once completed, she will return to finish placement in Queenstown, New Zealand, before starting as a trainee at Nelson Hospital.
Annelise was brought up on a farm 30km north of Masterton and appreciate that rural medicine it is not just urban medicine on a small scale. She believes rural medicine is “greater distances and challenges but also greater ingenuity and, some would argue, greater satisfaction”. Annelise also is also comfortable working on the farm, and has been involved in drama, dance and music where she plays the guitar, violin, piano, flugelhorn, cornet and flute. She is passionate about travel and about learning new languages where she is currently working on her Spanish.
Follow Annelise’s blog series: Guatemala: First Impressions | Introductions & hablas espanol? | A day at the medical centre
2017 Recipients
Natasha Austin
Natasha Austin
Hometown: Dunedin
RMIP: Dunedin
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Natasha is working at Southland Hospital in Invercargill and will be for 2021. She is now dual training on rural hospital and GP pathways.
In February 2018, she visited the obstetrics and gynaecology departments in the Northern Districts Hospital on the Espiritu Santo island of Vanuatu. Following this rotation, Natasha travelled to Belford Hospital, a rural hospital in Fort William Scotland, and then on to the ED department of Mater Dei Hospital in Msida. Tash recently started work at Southland Hospital in Invercargill and is enjoying the challenge of stepping up from Trainee Intern to House Officer.
Natasha was the Chairperson of NZ Rural General Practice Network Student Sub-committee, where she was elected after being the President of the Otago University Medical Students’ Association for 2015 and a member from 2014. Natasha comes from a teaching background, teaching English, Maths and Science in both United Arab Emirates and Japan between 2010 and 2014. She has extensive volunteer work experience on university and community boards, with search and rescue, and is the recent recipient of the Monash University Exchange Scholarship.
Natasha is a driven junior doctor and is looking forward to putting what she has learnt in New Zealand and abroad to become the best possible advocate for her patients.
Follow Natasha’s blog series: The mountain bikers, skiers and rescue dogs! | Taking new skills to scenic Scotland.. | The other end of the spectrum.. | Oh and Gee!! | An intro to Island Time
Mark Owen-Cooper
Mark Owen-Cooper
Hometown: Winton, Southland
RMIP: Dunedin
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Mark studied medicine at the University of Otago School of Medicine and currently working in Palmerston North working in General Practice as a 2nd year House Officer. Next year Mark will be working in Palmerston North ED, and is looking at starting the GP training programme in 2022.
In 2018, he travelled to Scotland to work in the Shetland Islands, where Mark worked in a General Practice, before heading to Virginia, USA for further training. In Virginia he participated in a Wilderness Medicine First Responder Course hosted by the Wilderness Medicine Society based in the Appalachian Mountains to further learn about rural and wilderness emergencies and trauma.
Mark is passionate about travelling and working in rural settings around the world in order to then utilise these skills in the high country and remote farm locations in his hometown of Southland, NZ.
Follow Marks’s blog series: The Most Stressful, Useful, & Memorable Day of My Med School Career | Wilderness Medicine in the Land of the Free, USA | The Shetland Islands | Dental Surgery on the Mobile Surgery Bus | Mobile Surgical Services
2016 Recipients
Ursula Poole
Ursula Poole
Hometown: Dunedin
RMIP: Dunedin
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Ursula is a sixth-year medical student at the University of Otago School of Medicine. From July 2017, she will be spending time in the paediatric, obstetrics and gynaecology departments in the Karyapitya Hospital, Sri Lanka. After this sometime in Bali.
Poole has previously been involved in research with the University of Otago Department of General Practice and rural Health. A past recipient of the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association Elective Scholarship 6th Year Woman MB ChB Students and the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust Research Award in Medical Sciences Zonta Club of Dunedin Scholarship for 3rd year University of Otago female students.
Ursula Poole is now working as a First Year House Officer at Dunedin Hospital, currently placed in the Urology Department. “It has been a busy past few weeks getting settled into the new role and the responsibilities that come with it but I’m really enjoying it so far and find the team here very supportive,” says Poole. She has been accepted into GP training in Otago for 2021. She is currently taking the opportunity to do some locum work in emergency medicine as preparation for next year – “I love the variety and insights into a community that working in Ed gives!” So far she has worked in Greymouth, Masterton, Palmerston North and Whangarei.
She completed the postgrad certificate in women’s health earlier in 2020.
After her experiences in Sri Lanka Ursula has been inspired to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Women’s Health and the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatrics while working as a house officer. “Through the support of the Pat Farry Trust, I believe I have gained a solid foundation in both women’s and children’s health that will really assist me in further work and study in these specialties”.
Follow Ursula’s blog series: First Impressions | Labour Room and the Law | At Capacity and Infections | Life, Hope and the Budda’s Tooth
Jordan Gibbs
Jordan Gibbs
Hometown: Blenheim
RMIP: Marlborough
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Jordan has one year left of her medical studies at the University of Otago School of Medicine. She used the Pat Farry Rural Health and Education Trust scholarship to work in the field in Tonga and Tanzania. After her time in Tanzania she had an interim break to head to Melbourne and be part of the LIME connection, a conference that focused on discussing improving indigenous education in medical curriculum.
Jordan has a passion for indigenous health and well-being. She is involved in many initiatives that aim to address Maori health and education. She has a Bachelor of Medical Science with Honours in Neuroendocrinology, and has been previously awarded the Hauora Maori Scholarship and Te Atiawa Education Grant among many others.
Jordan then moved to Wairau Hospital in Blenheim, after having enjoying her year there on RMIP. Jordan is transitioned into general surgery and urology, “which she really enjoyed”, states Gibbs. “I’m loved the hands-on practical experience received here compared to a city hospital.”
Jordan then completed PGY2, continuing on at Wairau Hospital in Blenheim. While working year, she did post graduate study through the college of emergency medicine. “I’m trying to work myself into a position where I can look at dual training in rural hospital medicine and general practice, but with a stronger background in emergency management.”
Jordan is currently about to finish PGY3. She has been accepted into rural hospital medicine training commencing in the new year and will be working in a rural medical registrar capacity next year at Wairau.
Follow Jordan’s blog series: Life in the Kingdom of Tonga | Play it by Ear | What’s your Emergency | The LIME connection | Touchdown in Tanzania | The End of Tanzania
2015 Recipients
Jono Paulin
Jono Paulin
Hometown: Dunedin
RMIP: Masterton
School of Medicine:University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
A 6th Year student at the University of Otago School of Medicine. From August 2016, Jono spent eight weeks in rural Northern Scotland – Orkney Islands (NHS Highland – Balfour Hospital). Jono is currently in Nelson, but is about to move to Wellington where he will continue his anaesthetic training. He is now an anaesthetic registrar in the capital coast DHB.
A previous Fulbright Scholar, Jono is also a previous recipient of other scholarships from the University of Otago, the Gloag Fitchett Memorial Medical Education Trust,the 15th International Philosophy & Psychiatry Conference and the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes.
“I spent the majority of my elective in the Orkney Isles. During this time I spent time on both the ‘mainland’ at the hospital, and in the outer isles in small rural GP practices. Reflecting on the experience – it was a great way to transition from final year medical student to junior doctor – I was given a chance to take on quite a lot of responsibility under close supervision before having that real responsibility back home.
I would highly recommend a rural elective to other final year medical students. We were always busy, but no-one was ever so busy they lost their compassion for the patient or had to take shortcuts. I didn’t see anything super specialised being done in the hospital. That may be what some want to see, and if so, then don’t go to a rural hospital. You will however see pragmatism at its best and magnificent utilisation of resources.
I have to give thanks to the Pat Farry Rural Trust. They are an amazing resource for people involved in healthcare who want to know about, or get involved in rural medicine. This scholarship opened up an opportunity I would not have had otherwise and I will be forever grateful for that. I am now a junior doctor based at Nelson hospital.”
Read Jono’s blog series: Hospital Food | Wilson’s Disease | Time Well Spent | ORCADES | All Good Things Come To An End
Anna Charles-Jones
Anna Charles-Jones
Hometown: Blenheim
RMIP: Masterton
School of Medicine:University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Anna is a 6th Year student at the University of Otago School of Medicine. From August 2016, Anna spent eight weeks in rural Northern Scotland – Orkney Islands (NHS Highland – Balfour Hospital). She will soon be based in Wellington for 2021.
Anna is the Co-Founder of Choose Kids, a charitable trust established to support vulnerable children in New Zealand through advocacy and research. The group brings together students from all disciplines at the University of Otago to tackle the very complex issue of child poverty. Anna is also the Present Director of Ignite Trust, a student-run organisation that carries out business consulting for not-for-profit organisations. In 2014 Ignite was the winner of the Supreme Award at the Trustpower Community Awards in Dunedin.
“Thanks to the Pat Farry Trust I was able to experience rural medicine in the Orkney Islands. Working in this fascinating community left me with some of my fondest memories of medical school. It was amazing too see how well the members of this close community looked after one and other, and to see the sense of well-being that came from their tight-knit connections. I developed pragmatic and essential clinical skills and was able to experience first hand the challenges of delivering healthcare in an isolated setting. From the moment I was asked to hold the pagers on day two, until I stepped off my final inter-island ferry, I couldn’t have been happier to have stumbled across this experience. It was simply the best way to finish up my medical school years.
The pace of life was different and this was also reflected within the hospital. No one was ever in too much of a hurry, despite the patient load being no different from other centres that I had worked in. Getting away from the tertiary hospital environment was an essential part of my journey to becoming a doctor. If you ever feel like tertiary hospital medicine is not for you then I’d highly recommend seeking out opportunities to work in smaller centres. Pat Farry gave me those opportunities both through his establishment of the Rural Medical Immersion Programme, and now through the Pat Farry Rural Health Travelling Scholarhip that was set up in his honour. So thank you Pat! And the whole Pat Farry Trust team! It was an absolute blast.”
Anna is now working as a house officer at Nelson Hospital, and is happy to be contacted with any questions about a medical elective in Orkney.
Follow Anna’s blog series: Welcome to the Orkney Islands | The Ten Minute Appointment | Throw a street party, get to know your neighbours | Meet Bernie | All Good Things Come To An End
2014 Recipients
Natalie Irving
Hometown: Fielding
RMIP: Masterton
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch and Dunedin
Natalie Irving
Natalie Irving began her seven week elective in Pokhara, Nepal at the Green Pastures Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre on 12 November 2014. The institution specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy, disability reconstructive surgery and spinal cord injuries. After this she travelled to Siaya, Kenya to spend three weeks at the Siaya District Hospital where she lived on the grounds of an orphanage and learnt first-hand about communicable diseases. In particular she learnt about HIV/AIDS and how this affects especially women and children as the next generation of a community.
In late 2015 Nicola is currently a Trainee Intern at Christchurch Hospital finishing off her final months of medical school. Asked to reflect on the experience travelling to Nepal and Kenya with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Natalie reported back;
“In Nepal I helped to look after patients affected by Leprosy and spinal cord injuries in a small 45 bed hospital in Pokhara. Seeing the team’s resourcefulness and ability to ‘think outside of the square’ to help patients who had traveled hundreds of kilometers on foot to seek care was an incredibly humbling experience. For example using fish tank pumps, they created small negative pressure wound dressings to help heal pressure sores on patients’ feet and hands before they became so badly infected they would require amputation. This prevents the awful disfiguration patients with Leprosy are so often stigmatized and ostracized for.
“Kenya provided a totally different experience. I worked in a 240 bed district hospital serving a population of over 1 million. I helped care for those delirious with Malaria, emancipated by HIV/AIDS and for the numerous women presenting daily to the maternity ward. Before my elective I had never truly considered how differently the health systems in other countries would be and how this would impact patient care and health outcomes. Here patients must pay to be admitted and for any consumables or procedures required as part of their treatment. As a consequence late presentations are common and the consequences severe. Observing and helping manage such situations as eclampsia in pregnant women and severe necrotizing skin infections provided some of the most important learning opportunities I brought back with me.
“Getting back in to rural areas and supporting smaller communities health is a definite goal after my elective and experience with RMIP in Masterton during my 5th year. I didn’t expect the sense of motivation I felt by the end of my 3 months in Nepal and Kenya. On landing back in New Zealand, I couldn’t wait to keep learning as much as I could to be equipped as possible when I finally graduate as a doctor. “
Follow Natalie’s blog series Welcome to Nepal – Neverending Peace and Love | Living with Leprosy (Kustarog) | Damage Control and Septic Surgey | Tough Road to Rehabilitation for Spinal Cord Injuries | Traditional Tibetan Medicine and Final Days in Nepal | Matatus Maternal Health | Surgery in Siaya | Maternity and Obstetric Emergencies | General Medicine and Paediatrics
Read Natalie’s final report here.
Natalie Irving 2015 Elective Report – Introduction
Natalie Irving Elective report- Kenya_Siaya
Natalie Irving Elective Report – Nepal_Pokhara
Laura Hammersley
Hometown: Darfield
RMIP: Greymouth
School of Medicine: University of Otago, Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Laura Hammersley
From 23 November 2014, Laura Hammersley spent seven weeks on Vanuatu at Vila Central Hospital where she hoped to gain clinical experience and an appreciation of medicine in a developing country and how doctors work to distribute their limited resources. This is the third successive year, that at least one of the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Travelling Scholarship recipients has been a ‘graduate’ of the Greymouth RMI Programme. Laura Hammersley so valued her time in Greymouth that she chose to spend the second half of her elective at Grey Base Hospital after returning from Vanuatu before eventually returning to Christchurch for her sixth year studies.
Laura has been working for the Canterbury District Health Board since leaving university in 2015. She spent two years as a House Officer there, before entering into specialist training in Psychiatry. This was not where she initially thought she would end up, but she enjoyed Mental Health placements so much as a junior doctor, that she couldn’t see herself working in any other area.
She is now in a third year of Psychiatry training and enjoying a six month placement for the Rural Mental Health Service. Laura hopes to be able to do some work within this role when she becomes a Consultant.
Asked to reflect on the experience travelling to Vanuatu with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Laura reported back;
“The Pat Farry Scholarship allowed me to travel to Vanuatu for six weeks. I spent this time in the major hospital in Port Vila, working in a number of different wards. This was an incredible opportunity and I made many lifelong friends within the village and with other visiting students.
“My time in Vila Central Hospital was invaluable to my learning, teaching me the importance of good clinical diagnosis rather than reliance on investigations. This was my first trip overseas and it was amazing to come face to face with true poverty and lack of resources – seeing it second hand via the internet or television just does not do justice to how horrible the conditions in these places can be. While New Zealand healthcare is considerably better, I do hope to use the skills I learned in Vanuatu to help those less fortunate within my own country. For now, I have chosen to stay in Christchurch but in the future I plan to work in a rural area and will hopefully also be able to advocate for the poorest of our health community.”
Follow Laura’s blog series here. | Christmas with the pikininis | Readjustment and Reflections
2013 Recipients
David Neynens
Hometown: Glenorchy
RMIP: Balclutha
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch and Dunedin
David Neynens
From mid-November 2013 David worked for four weeks at the Lady Willingdon Hospital in Manali, India. He then travelled to Gibraltar where he worked for eight weeks at St Bernard’s Hospital. David is interested particularly in expanding his knowledge of emergency medicine believing that “core knowledge of emergency management of patients is especially critical in a rural scenario, where a patient’s outcome may rely on a single clinician’s competency, unlike in the larger teams seen in urban hospitals.”
In late 2015 David is at Timaru Hospital, completing an Orthopaedic rotation in his first year as a house surgeon. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to India and Gibraltar with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship David reported back;
“Overall, it was as much of a cultural experience as it was a medical one. The immersion into the hustle-and-bustle of Indian life is enough to give anyone an immediate culture shock, but through it I developed an immense appreciation of people and societies different to my own.
“As for the medical side of things, I received a huge amount of insight into some of the different challenges that face rural and isolated hospitals in different parts of the world. Equally so, there were some common themes that presented themselves as well: Gibraltar and Manali experienced difficulty with issues like staffing their hospitals and having access to specialties, both issues that I have seen during my time in New Zealand hospitals.
“I think that the variety of different things I saw on my elective gave me a bit of a leg up in working in a provincial hospital. Here in Timaru, we are required to work with a much more general scope of practice than in the larger hospitals. Getting the hands-on experience in hospitals like Manali and Gibraltar- where you can’t necessarily direct the tricky cases elsewhere- has granted me more knowledge and skills to treat whichever patient walks through the door here in Timaru.”
Read David’s final report: David Neynens – Final Elective Report 2014
Rebecca Craw
Hometown: Tauranga
RMIP: Greymouth
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Rebecca Craw
Rebecca Craw travelled to the Falkland Islands in February 2014 to be based at a small hospital in Stanley. She also took care of patients in outlying villages reachable only by plane or 4 wheel drive vehicles. In April she travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal to spend time in hospitals learning how to provide care for larger populations with limited resources. Rebecca looked to both experiences to increase her “passion for wilderness and rural medicine” and for the experiences to “broaden her knowledge base and skill set.”
This was the second scholarship that Rebecca Craw had been awarded by the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust. Earlier in 2013 a grant from the Trust assisted her to travel Bairnsdale, East Gippsland, in Victoria, Australia for a two week rural health exchange between Monash University and the University of Otago School of Medicine.
Read Rebecca’s final report: Rebecca Craw – Final Elective Report 2014
2012 Recipients
Nicola Shaw
Hometown: Christchurch
RMIP: Greymouth
School of Medicine:University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Nicola Shaw
Nicola Shaw travelled to Ecuador to join the Cinterandes Foundation mobile surgical bus service for five weeks before also traveling to St Francis Hospital in Katete, Zambia.
In late 2015 Nicola is currently working in the Christchurch Emergency Department as a senior house officer. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Nepal and Zambia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Nicola reported back;
“On my elective I went to Ecuador, to be with the organisation called Cinterandes, who run a rural surgical bus that is similar to NZ, but poorly funded and most equipment is donated, and everything that is reuseable is reused. I spent 6 weeks with them, and when not out on the surgical bus I worked in a local women’s hospital doing obstetrics and gynaecology.
The second part of my elective took me to rural Zambia, where I worked in the St Francis Hospital, doing medicine and paediatrics. Again funding and equipment were extremely limited – it was very difficult to complete basic examinations such as looking in someone’s ears for lack of otoscope caps.
“I am working towards becoming a general practitioner, and so the wide and varied experience of my elective was fantastic for helping get a good broad knowledge base, as well as furthering my understanding of the difficulties faced by the rural communities in accessing healthcare. It means that in discharge planning I am more aware of the logistical issues faced by those we send home, and helps with planning appropriate follow up.”
Follow Nicola’s blog series here. | Blog Numero Uno | Hasta Luego Ecuador | Final Reflections on Ecuador | First Impressions of Zambia | A Day in the Life at a Zambian Hospital | Final Reflections on Zambia
Read Nicola’s final reports here.
Zambia at a Glance – Final Report by Nicola Shaw
Ecuador at a Glance – Final Report by Nicola Shaw
Kerry Short
Hometown: Matamata
RMIP: Greymouth
School of Medicine:University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Kerry Short
Kerry travelled to the Chitwan District of Nepal where she joined a travelling rural clinic based programme called “Hope and Home Nepal” before travelling to Katete, eastern Zambia for a six week placement at the St Francis Hospital and a four day placement with the Flying Medical Service in Arusha, Tanzania.
In late 2015 Kerry is currently working at Nelson Hospital. Kerry is currently on a 6 month rotation in paediatrics and is completing her Post Graduate Diploma in Child Health through the University of Otago. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Nepal, Zambia and Tanzania with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Kerry reported back;
“I was based in hospitals with very limited resources where reliance on good clinical judgement was paramount. It was truly medicine at the frontline with little access to specialist care and technology. This proved to be eye opening, haunting and yet heart-warming experience. It was a steep learning curve but exactly the challenge I was looking for and my clinical skills were truly put to the test. These placements allowed me to grow in clinical confidence and had broadened my range of practical skills particularly in the area of paediatric and general medicine.
Joining the flying doctors in remote Tanzania was a highlight of the trip – it was a wonderful way to see how health care can be delivered to those in the most remote parts of the world. Some villagers were over 150km walk from the nearest healthcare and so being part of bringing it to their doorstep was remarkable. It makes you appreciate the healthcare opportunities we have in NZ. Overall, my elective was simply an indescribable experience which developed me as a doctor, person and global citizen.
I have chosen to spend my first few years as a new graduate in a smaller teaching hospital. My experiences on the RMIP programme and during my elective reconfirmed my love of rural medicine and demonstrated the benefits of learning in a hand-on environment I fell in love with paediatrics while in Nepal and Africa as I spent much of my time on the children’s wards. As often the only “doctor” on the ward during my elective, I became comfortable with paediatric examinations, emergency care and confidently recognising ‘the sick child’ with visual assessment which has proved invaluable in my current role.”
Follow Kerry’s blog series here. | An Adventure Unfolds | Intro Nepali Medicine | A Different World | A Tough Week | Village Life | Changing Directions
Grants
University of Otago Rural Medical Immersion Programme exchange to Australia
Sue Farry with 2011 Grant Recipients James Heaton, Matt Restieaux and Thomas Kuperus.
The University of Otago Rural Medical Immersion Programme (RMIP) was established by Dr Pat Farry in 2007. An annual reciprocal exchange of students from Otago to Monash in Melbourne Australia began in the mid 2000s. Two Otago students spend two weeks in the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School in Bairnsdale and Sale. Two more students spend two weeks in the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia in Kalgoorlie. Four students from those schools come to a regional teaching centre in New Zealand.
In 2013, the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust and Mobile Health committed a further $8,000 to send four RMIP students to experience the exchange which in that year was named the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Monash/Western Australia Exchange.
2014 Recipients
Gracie Souter
Hometown: Auckland
RMIP: Blenheim
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Gracie Souter
In late 2015 Gracie is currently completing her Trainee Intern year in Christchurch, about to start soon as a Postgraduate Year One. Asked to reflect on the experience travelling to Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Gracie reported back;
“I spent two weeks on exchange in Bairnsdale, Victoria with rural medical students from Monash University during my 5th year of medical school in the RMIP programme. I was able to stay with the other Medical students in their university flats and attended clinical placements both in the local hospital and at GP clinics. It was really interesting to see how the hospital was run by a combination of local GPs and specialists, where most of the obstetricians and anaesthetists were also GPs.
During my GP placements I got to see patients by myself which was a great opportunity to chat with the patients and gain confidence in my clinical skills. I also attended some of the students teaching sessions which was interesting to compare curriculums.
Although I am currently based in Christchurch and will be for the next few years, rural medicine is still something that I am very interested in pursuing once I have built up some core experience in a tertiary centre. Being able to go over to Australia and experience rural medicine there made me realise that my positive experience of rural medicine that I had during my RMIP year wasn’t just unique to Blenheim and that I could go anywhere with rural medicine and have a great time. Many thanks to the Pat Farry Trust for allowing me to have this great opportunity!”
Follow Gracie’s blogs here and read her final report MY TWO WEEK EXPERIENCE IN BAIRNSDALE by Gracie Souter.
Clare Ogilvy
Hometown: Christchurch
RMIP: Queenstown
School of Medicine: University of Otago, Dunedin
In late 2015 Clare is currently finishing up her TI year and will soon be starting work as a house officer at Dunedin Hospital. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Clare reported back;
Clare Ogilvy
“I was given the opportunity by the Pat Farry Trust to go to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia as a 5th year medical student for two weeks. At the time I was placed at Lakes Hospital, Queenstown. The two places couldn’t have been more different, one a beautiful lake side adventure town; the other flat, arid and full of mining workers. I found the experience very valuable, I learnt about how it was to work in a rural hospital serving a huge geographical area and got to see a different demographic then I was used to in Queenstown. I found the aboriginal health particularly eye opening and really value the opportunities I was given to learn about and be involved in aboriginal health while I was in Kalgoorlie.
Follow Clare’s blogs here.
Natalie Ron
Follow Natalie’s blogs here.
Meaghan Kelly
Meaghan Kelly
In late 2015 Meaghan is currently working as a TI in Hastings Hospital. At the moment Meaghan is in the middle of her obstetrics and gynaecology attachment, which is the second to last of the year. Meaghan graduates in December, after which she has a job as a PGY1 house officer in Hastings. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Meaghan reported back;
Follow Meaghan’s blogs here.
2013 Recipients
John Fernando
Hometown: Paraparaumu
RMIP: Masterton
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
John Fernando
In late 2015 John is currently working as a surgical house officer at Taranaki District Health Board. Soon he will begin in the emergency department. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship John reported back;
“The Pat Farry Trust gave me the chance to get 600km in land from Perth to a mining town called Kalgoorlie. Here I worked with a local indigenous medical centre to provide care to people who traveled great distances to get to the clinic. It gave me an appreciation for the health disparities that the aboriginal and Torres strait peoples face and part of the solution – locally trained peoples providing service.
Taranaki has a large Maori population who still face the impacts of their loss of wealth from settlement of the area and the associated health disparities. Seeing the dire situation of the aboriginal peoples gives some perspective as to what we need to actively avoid. Making sure that all my patients are getting the best and most appropriate care.”
Read John’s report: John Fernando – Australia Report 2013 or his blog here.
Mary McWatter
Hometown: Ngatea
RMIP: Blenheim
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Wellington
Read Mary’s report: Mary McWatters – Australia Report 2013 or her blogs here.
Emma Thompson
Hometown: Auckland
RMIP: Queenstown
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Wellington
Emma Thompson
In late 2015 Emma is currently working in Taranaki at New Plymouth Hospital. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Emma reported back;
“I was placed in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. This was an amazing experience that highlighted Australia’s rural health issues. It was good to compare New Zealand’s rural health issues as compared to the Australian system. Renal unit, Obstetrics and Aboriginal health centre was my main placement. I got experience in a setting that was like no other, with diseases and pathologies I had never seen before (and still haven’t working in NZ one year later).
It has made me appreciate the proactive Maori community that we often have and has made me appreciate resources that you can take for granted in New Zealand. It has also made me aware of social issues that I wouldn’t think of. For example diabetic patients having healthy diets for two days of the week only due to their rural address, lack of refrigeration, and low finances (and once weekly food shop). However it has also fulfilled my enjoyment of working in a rural area because I find the medicine much more rewarding and interesting.”
Read Emma’s report: Emma Thompson – Australia Report 2013 or her blog here.
Rebecca Craw
Hometown: Tauranga
RMIP: Greymouth
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Rebecca Craw
In late 2015 Rebecca is currently working in Timaru Hospital on a General Surgical run. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to the Falkland Islands and Nepal with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Rebecca reported back;
Read Rebecca’s report: Rebecca Craw – Australia Report 2013 or her blogs here.
In 2011, Queenstown Medical Centre (QMC) provided $5,000 for the Pat Farry Trust to administer and provide assistance for four RMIP students to complete the exchange.
2011 Grant Recipients;
Matt Restieaux
Hometown: Clinton
RMIP: Queenstown
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Christchurch
Mathew Restieaux
In late 2015 Matt is currently working as a house officer in Dunedin Public Hospital. Asked to reflect on the experience of travelling to Australia with help from the Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust Scholarship Matt reported back.
“For the two weeks I was in Australia, I was based at the Sale branch of the East and South Gippsland Medical School. Sale has a large base hospital providing a large array of services including emergency, surgical, obstetric, orthopaedic, oncology and dialysis services. I was primarily based at a GP practice in a small rural town called Heyfield. It was approximately 30 minutes from Sale and has a population of around 2000. Its economy is primarily based around the diary and timber industries.
During my time there I had my own clinic room and had patients allocated to me in thirty minute time slots. I found having scheduled clinic appointments allocated to students and allowing them to do practical procedures was a very innovative way of teaching. In Queenstown I spent a lot of my time observing general practitioners in consultations. My experiences in Heyfield allowed me to put some of the techniques I observed into practice. Seeing my own patients gave me a sense of responsibility and made me feel like a part of a team.
In addition to my time in GP clinics, I spent a couple of days based in the emergency department at Sale Hospital. There I saw patients presenting acutely with a variety of conditions including iritis and cauda equina syndrome. The emergency department was often run by general practitioners and I was amazed by the scope of their practice. Once again my experiences there were overwhelmingly positive and it reinforced the appeal of a career in rural medicine.
In my time as a doctor to date I have gained a lot of experience in medical specialties, surgical specialties, emergency medicine and paediatrics. Next year I am going to complete a 6 month rotation in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and following this I am hoping to spend some time as an emergency medicine registrar. I am gaining experience and knowledge in this broad range of specialties with a view to being an emergency medical physician or general practitioner. The idea of doing one or both of these specialties in a rural area is also very appealing and I am strongly considering the rural hospital medical program in conjunction with GP training. I believe my experiences growing up in a rural area in combination with completing the Rural Medical Immersion Programme and having experiences such as those provided to me by the Pat Farry Trust have helped shape these career goals.”
Follow Matt’s blogs Hey from Heyfield and Freezing cold in Victoria
James Heaton
Hometown: Waihi Beach
RMIP: Queenstown
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Wellington
Follow James’ blogs here.
Thomas Kuperus
RMIP Timaru
School of Medicine: University of Otago Faculty of Medicine, Dunedin
Follow Thomas’ blogs here.