NT Medical Program manages the Year 3 clinical placements with placements across the NT in our regional sites. This is a strategic decision to enable student learning and support professional growth in the community context – General Practice, Aboriginal Medical Service and secondary hospital. This is the area of health service need in Australia and in particular in the NT.

The evidence is that students are more likely to return as professionals to regions they are familiar with and we also know that longer placements are best for student learning in the health services in the community. One of the hallmarks of General Practice is the establishment of a relationship between doctor and patient that is therapeutic and can navigate the highs and lows of health. Time is an essential ingredient in understanding the progress of a medical problem and experiencing the importance of continuity of care. For these reasons, students learn optimally in General Practice with a longitudinal placement.

The Palmerston GP Superclinic (PGPSC) is a teaching practice that has Yr3 students across 20 weeks of semester. They have 7-10 students per semester in parallel consultations. This semester placement also includes the Aboriginal Medical Service Danila Dilba, and a Top End remote community placement for all students. The placement ensures student learning in good consultation skills – history taking and clinical examination for appropriate problem definition. The PGPSC staff have awarded scholarships in 2022 to the following students:

Leaps and Bounds Scholarship

Awarded to the student who has demonstrated the most significant personal growth and transformation in their approach to learning and the application of that learning in the clinical setting

• Carly Sanford, Semester 1
• Nicholas Brummer, Semester 2

Osler Scholarship

Awarded to the student who demonstrates a depth and breadth of medical knowledge and a clarity of understanding not only of the fundamental tenets of medicine including their practical application

• Vincent Vindanes, Semester 2 (not awarded in Semester 1)

Ronald Chou Jedi Knight Scholarship

Named for Ronald Chou a medical student placed with FCD in 2015 and taken too soon in December 2015. This is awarded to the student who most ably demonstrates the core values and approach to medicine exhibited by Ronald, who was described by his then clinical mentor Dr Sam Heard as ‘demonstrating a rare connection with and understanding of his patients’

• Nicholas Gianoppoulos

Thankyou to all the clinical supervisors of students across our sites. A student needs particular support at the beginning of a placement but will thrive and grow to contribute very positively to patient care and the tasks of the team. We are steadily contributing to the workforce needs of the NT with our Flinders MD and I am grateful to all the SA and NT based MD team, and the incredible commitment of all the clinical supervisors and health care staff involved with our students.

Congratulations to our 2022 graduating class in NT and SA.  It has been a momentous year and I am looking forward to 2023.

Emma

A/Prof Emma Kennedy, FRACGP, DRANZCOG, MFM, GAICD
Associate Professor in Medical Education and Training
Flinders NT Medical Program
https://www.flinders.edu.au/flinders-nt