Bush Bursaries are back in Bourke!

It's that time of year again! The RDN Bush Bursary and Country Women’s Association Scholarship placements are rolling out, with 33 healthcare students set to head to rural and remote NSW for their placements.

The RDN Bush Bursary program receives funding from Councils and the CWA to provide financial support for students to undertake a two-week placement during their university holidays. Selected medical, midwifery, and nursing students in NSW and the ACT are provided with up to $1,500 to assist with the costs, allowing the opportunity for immersion in rural life - both in and outside the clinical setting. Bursary recipients are paired up by RDN, giving them the opportunity to network with local health professionals and community members, as well as connect with their fellow student.

On a windy late Sunday afternoon in November, second year medical students Hannah George from the University of New England and Matt Darnell from the University of Sydney, arrived in Bourke for their Bush Bursary placement, funded by Bourke Shire Council. Welcomed with a forty-degree Bourke evening, Hannah and Matt settled into their new temporary home in the bush, ready for what Hannah described as an “eye-opening and life changing” two weeks.

Bush Bursary placements aim to give students a taste of the unique nature of rural healthcare through a range of clinical experiences, affording them hands-on experience that they may not normally have in metropolitan settings. For Hannah and Matt, that included visits to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) clinic, podiatry, diabetes, dermatology and Outreach midwife clinics, ambulance stations, GP practices, sitting in on patient consultations and home visits with rural nurses- just to name a few!

For Hannah, observing at close quarters the diverse spread of health services being provided by local and visiting health professionals helped build an understanding of how health care works in small communities. “It really pressed upon me the importance of having collaborative teams of nurses, allied health, doctors and community health workers to best serve rural town needs,” she said.

Bush Bursary placements are not only a unique clinical opportunity for students but also offer an insight into what a country lifestyle has to offer. From a cultural tour at Brewarrina’s famous Aboriginal fish traps, to the Bourke Christmas Markets (where they were featured in the local newspaper!), local pub trivia, hiking in Gundabooka National Park and even catching a local cricket match- Hannah and Matt embraced the country hospitality and incredible natural surrounds.

“There is a comforting notion to being mates with the people behind the bar at dinner, those working in your local post office and working in the hospital,” Matt said of the welcoming community experience.

“Seeing all these dedicated community members come together in events like the Christmas markets inspired me to appreciate the unique love and care these small communities show. There isn’t much like it in bigger cities, and it’s also what I believe could foster a better, more unique relationship with hospitals and healthcare workers.”

Taking the time to visit cultural sites, museums and medical services is an incredibly potent element of Bush Bursary placements. For Matt, the opportunity to strengthen his cultural competency and take a valued opportunity to gain knowledge of Aboriginal culture and experience was integral to his placement, and something he will take with him into his career.

“Through direct engagement with Indigenous history and community members, I understood that intergenerational trauma and fear of government systems leads to an incredible disadvantage in Aboriginal health,” Matt said.

“It was one thing to learn about this, but then another to see this completely in action and understand the impact firsthand. I hope to take this away for the rest of my life and am sure that it will make me both a better doctor and person.”

Bush Bursary placements serve as an inspiring glimpse into the rich and fulfilling career and lifestyle offered in country towns, encouraging students to consider the possibilities of a career outside metropolitan bounds. For Hannah, her placement experience has achieved exactly that.

“I left Bourke thinking I might be headed for a career more rural and remote than I first thought…I greatly look forward to returning to Bourke and the surrounds as a doctor one day,” she said.

Related reading:

• From camping to C-sections, students experience all rural life has to offer on summer Bush Bursary placements