Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service
Organisational Environment
Country Health SA has provided funding to Mount Gambier Hospital through the Flinders University Rural Clinical School (FURCS) to provide support and education for accredited intern positions. FURCS will provide the educational support for this intern training program. Mount Gambier Hospital is the only rural hospital in South Australia to offer a full year of internship in a rural environment with full support from the Medical Board of South Australia and the SA IMET.
The appointee will have five 10-11 week term rotations including core terms of Emergency Medicine, Medicine and Surgery; Additional term rotations include General Practice at Millicent and Anaesthetics.
Interns will be employed under the SASMOA award On completion of this full year training position Australian graduates may be eligible for partial reimbursement of HECS fees under the Commonwealth Government HECS reimbursement scheme.
Overview of medical services
The Mount Gambier Hospital is the major regional health provider for the Lower, Mid and Upper South East Regions with a catchment area which extends across the border into Western Victoria.
The Facility includes 78 public beds, 12 Day Surgery Chairs, 4 Operating Theatres, a Pre-Admission Clinic and an Online Learning Centre. Services include an Emergency Department, 25 bed Medical Unit, 27 bed Surgical Unit, 6 bed High Dependency Unit, 20 bed Maternity Unit with 3 delivery suites and a 6 bed Paediatric Unit. Co-located at the Hospital site are a 20 bed Private Hospital Benson Radiology, IMVS, Consulting Rooms for Visiting Specialists, South East Regional Community Health Service, South East Dental Services, South East Mental Health Services, Aboriginal Health Service, Drug and Alcohol Services, a Renal Dialysis Service and a Palliative Care Service.
Working Relationships
The interns will work under supervision as part of a clinical team with the specialist term supervisor and salaried medical officers. All staff is supportive and provide a nurturing learning environment for the interns.
Educational Opportunities
The purpose built Flinders University Rural Clinical School Campus is located adjacent to the hospital. It provides formal teaching sessions which include:
Orientation to the hospital and to the Rural Clinical School prior to the commencement of the internship.
Journal Club held monthly involving a mixed vertically integrated small group learning environment. A diverse program has been devised discussing recent journal articles and clinical case presentations, family medicine program articles, clinical reviews and audits.
Grand Rounds held once a month with visiting specialists presenting up to date clinical information to participants.
JMO Tutorial Program held weekly. This program has been developed in collaboration with interns and term supervisors with local General Practitioners and specialists covering core skills requirements.
Skills laboratory sessions with acute skills training and access to SimMan.
Teaching rounds for medical students and junior doctors weekly.
For more Information, contact:
Julie Forgan
Medical Education Officer
Ph: (08) 8726 3915
Email: julie.forgan@flinders.edu.au
or
Tracy Brown
Medical Liaison Officer
Ph: (08) 8721 1617
Fax: (08) 8721 1579
>Email:tracy.brown@health.sa.gov.au