Growing up surrounded by the lush green ranges of Tasmania’s picturesque Huon Valley, third year Medicine student Gabriel Patson-Gill says he feels right at home studying in the Barossa Valley as part of the Flinders MD Rural Stream.

“I’ve always wanted to go into a medical field, but after working in pathology for a time I found that not knowing patient outcomes was something I found frustrating,” Gabriel says.

“So that realisation about needing to know the start and end of the story helped push me back towards medicine. “

Gabriel made the decision to study at Flinders University drawn to the offering of the rural program as well as the Postgraduate medical pathway.

“Growing up in a rural place not too unlike the Barossa Valley made it feel a lot like home, and after spending the last two years in Adelaide I’m definitely not cut out for long-term city life.

“I got to see my first birth in the local hospital and the patient interactions I have while on call have been so varied and interesting.”

Gabriel says the Barossa community has been welcoming and friendly, from the doctors to the nurses, to the practice managers, his fellow students and of course the patients.

“There’s always something to be involved in,” he says. “Our little bunch of medical students have been taking part in mixed community netball and that’s been really fun.”

With more study following his rural year, Gabriel is not sure what area of medicine he will practice, but is certain of one thing, it will be somewhere in rural Australia, where he can continue to help those communities.

Learn more about studying Medicine at Flinders

Learn more about opportunities through Flinders Rural and Remote Health SA