Junior doctors from southern Queensland will have the chance to experience the life of a rural general practitioner as part of a new placement program on the Western Downs.
Darling Downs Health’s Dr Samaar Alva was recently welcomed to the team at the Wambo Medical Centre in Jandowae, as part of the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program (JFPDP).
The medical centre has become the fourth GP clinic on the Darling Downs to employ interns.
Dr Alva said he was excited to learn as much as possible about working as a GP in a rural setting.
“General practice is so broad, you get to learn about little bits of everything,” Dr Alva said.
“It’s important to learn how rural healthcare is done and how that’s different from someone who has access to like a major hospital such as Toowoomba.”
Darling Downs Health executive director of Medical Services Dr Liam Flynn said the program demonstrated the Health Service’s strong commitment to rural communities and the rural medical workforce.
“The advantages for the Jandowae community, the rural medical workforce and Darling Downs Health are significant,” said Dr Flynn.
“This year, 85 per cent of our first-year doctors will spend at least one of five terms working and learning in a rural hospital or rural GP practice.”
Wambo Medical Centre practice owner Dr Luke Dwyer said it was fantastic having a Darling Downs Health junior doctor there.
“Having that extra set of hands, that extra trained eye, that extra person who can assess, evaluate and manage a patient presenting in general practice has been huge,” said Dr Dwyer.
Dr Dwyer said he hoped programs such as JFPDP would continue to expose junior doctors to rural medicine.
“If they have an understanding of what it’s like to be a patient from a rural area, they will have a greater understanding and greater connection with those patients.”
The JFPDP, which began in 2023, provides primary care rotations for eligible hospital-based prevocational and junior doctors in regional, rural and remote areas and is designed to increase exposure and interest in rural general practice.
The JFPDP receives funding under the Australian Government’s Federation Funding Agreement.
