{"id":2509,"date":"2024-12-16T15:18:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T04:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/?p=2509"},"modified":"2026-01-05T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T05:00:00","slug":"how-maddy-embraced-rural-placements-and-became-a-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/2024\/12\/16\/how-maddy-embraced-rural-placements-and-became-a-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"How Maddy embraced rural placements and became a doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

A career in medicine was a natural next step in Maddy Ludwig’s healthcare journey. \u201cI loved my time as a nurse,\u201d<\/em> she shares, reflecting on her years in WA and the NT, where she specialised in renal nursing. However, her curiosity and drive to deepen her clinical understanding led her to Flinders University\u2019s Doctor of Medicine program<\/a> through the Indigenous Entry Program<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From nursing to medicine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maddy\u2019s background in nursing gave her a strong foundation for her medical studies. But the decision to transition was rooted in a desire to do more. \u201cI felt that medicine better suited my strengths and allowed me to understand clinical concepts on a deeper level,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> she explains. A childhood friend who was also studying medicine encouraged her to apply and Maddy hasn\u2019t looked back since.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Maddy took a new challenge to become a doctor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The power of clinical placements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For Maddy, the highlight of her studies was the hands-on experience gained through clinical placements. She spent the majority of her time at the Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) on Larrakia Country. \u201cBeing in such a small cohort meant we formed great relationships with hospital staff and teachers,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> Maddy notes, emphasizing the unique opportunities this setting provided.<\/p>\n

One of her most memorable rotations was on the renal team at RDH, where she reunited with colleagues from her nursing days. \u201cIt felt like coming full circle,\u201d<\/strong><\/em> she shares.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Maddy at Uluru during her placement in Central Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Exploring rural medicine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maddy\u2019s placements took her across the Northern Territory, providing invaluable exposure to rural and remote healthcare. In her third year, she completed a five-month placement on Yolngu Country in Nhulunbuy. \u201cI worked in the emergency department, maternity, and general ward at Gove Hospital and went on outreach trips to surrounding communities,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> she says.<\/p>\n

A particularly special month was spent on Anindilyakwa Country (Groote Eylandt), where Maddy lived as a child. \u201cRotating through the clinics there was incredible. I reconnected with family and friends while gaining great clinical experience.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In her final year, Maddy spent three months on Arrernte Country at Alice Springs Hospital. Rotations in alcohol and other drugs, paediatrics and orthopaedic surgery rounded out her education. \u201cIt was a perfect way to finish my degree,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> she reflects.<\/p>\n

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Maddy relaxes after a busy day in Arnhem Land<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking ahead
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Maddy encourages prospective students to embrace rural placements. \u201cTake as many rural opportunities as you can. The experiences, both clinical and personal, are amazing and you never know where they\u2019ll take you or who you\u2019ll meet.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Maddy\u2019s journey continues as she begins her internship at Alice Springs Hospital, starting with emergency medicine in January 2025. She\u2019s considering a career in Rural Generalism or Renal Medicine, but is keeping her options open.<\/p>\n

As she celebrates her graduation, Maddy is also taking time to reflect and recharge. A backpacking trip to the Philippines and attending the International Indigenous Doctors Conference in Adelaide are the perfect ways to end the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A career in medicine was a natural next step in Maddy Ludwig’s healthcare journey. \u201cI loved my time as a nurse,\u201d she shares, reflecting on her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5851,"featured_media":2514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2863,4200,1625,5299,3320,2796,3215,3540],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alice-springs","category-cmph-student","category-flinders-nt","category-indigenous-entry-stream","category-medicine","category-nhulunbuy","category-ntmp","category-rural-and-remote"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/mph-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}