Back...

...to the old smoke - tall buildings, traffic lights, crowds, chaos, family... oh my, it's only been two weeks but I think I'm going to have adjustment issues :-S

We have to fill out an evaluation form after each placement we do and one of the questions is "How has the experience impacted on your ambitions to practice rurally?" . For me, the experience has been revolutionary. Born and bred in major cities, here and overseas, I've never ventured off the beaten track. I had a lot of misconceptions about life in a small country town, socially and vocationally with regards to working there as a doctor - all of which have been dispelled by this experience. I was expecting the people to be a bit conservative and wary of strangers (not just from the city, but essentially from half-way across the world!) coming in to their town without the promise that they'd give something back. This was certainly not the reception I received; and I'm not sure if it's because Mudgee has a higher flow of tourists than other rural areas, but the people were extremely friendly, accommodating and welcoming. They also practiced good olde fashioned manners, which is a rare sight here: tipping their hats or greeting you as you walked down the street; holding the door open for you to pass; inviting you home for dinner after knowing you for only a few days; insisting that they pay for your coffee every morning!! I also really appreciated the wider spaces, fewer crowds and slower pace of life, much more than I envisioned I would. And of course, everyone really does know everyone elses' business - which may be good or bad, depending on what business of your's they know :-P.

From a medical practice perspective, the main differences that stood out for me were the greater responsibilities placed on GPs and nurses to hold up the health-care system and look after everyone's needs as much as they can. With the exception of regular visitors, they don't always have the luxury of passing the care of someone onto a specialist; so they manage a lot of cases in their clinics or the ED, that a specialist would otherwise take care of in the city. At the same time, the situation isn't as remote as I imagined it would be - for serious cases, care in Dubbo or Sydney is just a referral flight away (and the costs are covered of course). Also, because of the visiting specialists, there is access to a specialist if you really needed to see one in a non-emergency situation, every now and then (which is about the same access you would have if you lived in the city because it takes forever - read: weeks or months - to get an appointment with one in the city anyway!).

Overall, an extremely positive experience for me and I can't wait to return next year. Long-term, if I went into general practice, I wouldn't practice it anywhere but in a rural setting. Anyway, enough ranting from me. I'll let you decide: take a trip and see for youself!