MDRS students have been engaging with local communities in a number of activities over the past 4 weeks supporting Flinders Rural and Remote Health and Indigenous student recruitment activities and rural field days. The students were joined by enthusiastic local clinical, academic and professional staff and student recruitment team members from Bedford Park.

Engagement with local communities is an important activity that assists students to understand some of the social fabric of the communities that they are learning in. It also provides an opportunity to give something back and further develop their skills of communication and professionalism.

Growth of the stay in place program for MD4 MDRS students is set for 2024 with 12 students having an opportunity to remain in their rural sites for MD4. Several MDRS MD3 students have already shown interest in staying in place and expressions of interest will be sought around June this year. This exciting initiative has been embraced by health services, GPs, clinicians and students and we look forward to seeing the rural training pipeline continue into the prevocational training years within rural Local Health Networks.

Students have been busy learning in clinical practice, participating in simulation, small group learning and specialist teaching , I am sure they appreciated a well deserved Easter break!
Rural academics, clinical and professional staff have been busy planning the Supervisor workshop scheduled for the 14 October, preparing for OSCE writing and contributing to a number of MD and curriculum related meetings, workshops and forums. Seeing our teaching teams so engaged in the program reminds me of how important our clinicians, supervisors and rural teams are to the provision of excellent rural medical education.

Vanessa Ryan PhD Candidate, MPHC, BM, BN
Director, Flinders University Rural Clinical School (SA)