Get to know your College: Jamie Pannett, MD Rural Stream 2021

A long way from his hometown of Bunbury WA, Jamie Pannett chose to study medicine at Flinders University for the opportunity to join the Doctor of Medicine Rural Stream (MDRS) and spend his entire third year in a rural setting to develop a broad range of clinical skills.

“I chose Flinders for the MDRS program, as the staff and students in Mt Gambier during my interview were welcoming and kind. I felt immediately attached to the Mt Gambier community and was drawn to the rural curriculum. My exposure to Mt Gambier during my interview helped me to understand that my rural year would be in an environment that I would feel at home in, with a community that I could easily connect with.”

Like many Flinders University medical students who have well developed life skills that they bring with them, Jamie, a positive and caring person also brought his experience, empathy and abilities as a registered nurse.

“While in high school in Western Australia, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, but I had been exposed to healthcare through volunteer work and found myself interested in a career where I could help people at their most vulnerable. Prior to studying medicine, I worked as an assistant in nursing at a rural hospital in Western Australia while studying Registered Nursing. I was also involved with a local charity, the Disabled Surfers Association South-West Branch, that further captivated my interest in a career where I could make a meaningful change to a person’s life and engage with people every day.”

Jamie’s GP supervisor, Dr Milan, has also been his mentor, interested in sharing his knowledge with students, supporting them and ensuring they have the opportunity to learn, interact with patients and develop skills to become the best junior doctors possible. Support from the Hawkins clinic where Jamie and other students are based this year, local specialists and Flinders University Rural and Remote Health staff ensures not only that learning needs are addressed, but also their health and wellbeing.

For relaxation and downtime during his busy year, Jamie writes music for both piano and guitar, runs and is learning to cook … all great outlets for stress relief, and to bolster creativity too.

Although his studies are not over yet, Jamie has an idea of the area of medicine he would like to practice in.

“I’m setting my sights on emergency or anaesthetics. I enjoy problem based, fast paced environments and I am also interested in retrieval services such as RFDS.”

“In five years’ time I would like to be working in a hospital and engaging in some sort of educational program for medical students and junior doctors. I have been fortunate in having great role models and teachers in the past few years and feel that I should engage with future teaching opportunities for students to experience the same support and guidance.”

 

Posted in
Uncategorised

Leave a Reply