High school students in Bundaberg were offered a ‘Taste of Medicine’ this week when The University of Queensland’s Rural Clinical School hosted a medical work experience program at the Bundaberg Regional Clinical Unit, with support from CQUniversity.
UQRCS Bundaberg Regional Clinical Unit Head Dr Therese Ryan said high school students stepped into the world of a medical professional and participated in different clinical scenarios to learn basic skills, under the instruction of qualified clinical staff members.
“Students were offered an array of opportunities including scrubbing, gowning and gloving, how to interpret urine tests (on mock urine), how to manage a patient’s airway and how to insert sutures,” she said.
“The students were very excited to have hands on experience and to hear the stories of some local University students already on their journey to becoming doctors.
“We hope this will allow them to reflect on their subject choices in Year 11 and QTAC preferences in Year 12 and assist them in choosing a career in Medicine.”
A Taste of Medicine (ATOM) is a highly competitive program that accepts only a limited number of high school students in each region.
It is run by The University of Queensland Rural Clinical School, the largest rural clinical school hosted by a single university in Australia, with sites in Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay and Toowoomba
ATOM gives students the opportunity to learn about how they can continue their careers locally through the Regional Medical Pathway, a partnership between UQ, CQUniversity, Wide Bay and Central Queensland Health and Hospital Services.
Students are now able to undertake their seven-year medical education in Bundaberg and transition to careers through local Health and Hospital Services.
The RMP is established to foster and sustain a skilled and dynamic medical workforce to meet the needs of rural, regional, and remote Queensland.
This is the first time this event has been offered in Bundaberg.
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