Meet Leanne
- Students
- 1 minute read
- LocationPrimary Care Connect, Shepparton
- UniversityUniversity of Melbourne
- Field of StudyDoctor of Physiotherapy
Overall, how was your rural placement experience?
It was a really wonderful experience! The community made me feel very welcomed and valued and my physiotherapy supervisors were really supportive the entire time. I also got to meet students from different faculties while I was staying at the Unimelb rural accommodation!
Has it changed your perception of rural placements?
It definitely has. I thought I’d feel very isolated and would not like being so far from home, but after a few weeks of getting to know my patients, colleagues and housemates, I felt like I was becoming part of a new community that provided me with social supports and made the experience very enjoyable!
Has the placement widened your knowledge of some of the rural healthcare discrepancies rural communities face?
It definitely has. With such a shortage of physiotherapists in the community, many patients often face long waiting periods and can’t have their concerns addressed until much later on, unlike in metropolitan Melbourne where physiotherapy services are easily accessible.
Has it influenced your intent to practice rurally one day?
Potentially! Prior to this placement, I would have never considered practicing rurally, but after meeting the lovely community that really made me feel like the work I was doing was valued, I’ve definitely had a change of heart!
Did Going Rural Health support your placement in some way, if so, what support did you receive?
I felt very supported by the Going Rural Health throughout my placement. Not only did they offer financial support for our accommodation and expenses, they also had physiotherapists come out on-site to ensure we were okay and give us feedback on how we were going. Knowing we had the Going Rural Health team made the rural placement experience a lot less intimidating, and I am very grateful to have had their support.