Connection and confidence the take-home for junior doctors after 10 week rotation in Narrogin

After the busyness of last week’s Notre Dame medical student immersion, Narrogin Hospital has farewelled its first junior doctor cohort of the year. Doctors Rika Lee, Justin Martin and Angela Stojanoska spent 10 weeks in Narrogin developing skills in rural practice and becoming part of the community. Hailing from Muchea, Dr Martin said the stay had been a good experience. “I’m originally from rural WA but studied at Flinders (University) in South Australia,” he said. “I’ve just moved back and this is sort of my first gig as a doctor.” Dr Martin aspires to be a GP anaesthetist and studied regionally before returning to WA. The junior doctor said that practising medicine in rural settings is a great way to get equipped for the challenges ahead. “I guess for me, the first time doing actual doctor work is something that sets you on the pathway to where you want to go,” he said. “Getting a lot of hands-on one-on-one time with patients and actually managing them yourself is really good for building confidence compared to a city internship where you do a lot more paperwork and learn that way.” It was Dr Lee’s second stint in Narrogin as a junior. “I liked it enough to come back,” she said. Like Dr Martin, Dr Lee said that the confidence gained from rural rotations is a big help, especially for doctors who might one day want to practice remotely. “It’s always nicer to get all the skills and experience behind you before you start going further out,” she said. Dr Stojanoska said that the pace and structure of rural practice fosters connection. “Sometimes when you’re working in busy metropolitan hospitals you don’t really have as much time to get to know the person that you’re treating,” she said. “I think working in Narrogin ED and imaging and the Aboriginal Health Centre I had perhaps a little bit more time to really get to know the person. “It kind of reminds you of why you chose medicine in the first place — ‘just slow down a little bit’ is what I’ll be constantly reminding myself of.”