You get to see a variety of conditions and get exposure to all areas of medicine. Just recently, I saw a patient with rheumatic heart disease, which is not something I expected to see.
- Nathan Blake
The School of Rural Health in Dubbo has welcomed a new cohort of third-year medical students.
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During an event held at the Pear Tree Cafe on Wednesday, 16 medical students were officially welcomed.
The medical students will spend the next year living and training within the local community while completing their third year.
One of the new medical students, Nathan Blake said his choice to study his third year in Dubbo stemmed from his interest in rural medicine.
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"I come from Tamworth originally so I'm interested in rural medicine," Mr Blake said.
"Before this, I'd only ever visited Dubbo once when I was a kid to visit the zoo, so it's incredible to be now studying here as a medical student."
The students will study at the School of Rural Health campus and train with local doctors at Dubbo Hospital and medical practices, as well as participating in outreach clinics and placements throughout the region.
They will be living in the modern School of Rural Health accommodation at the campus, located opposite the Private Hospital on Moran Drive.
"I'm so glad I decided to come to the School of Rural Health in Dubbo. It's a fantastic facility and it's great to be able to live locally on campus," Mr Blake said.
"Working in the hospital is a brilliant opportunity and the quality of clinical care is exceptional.
"You get to see a variety of conditions and get exposure to all areas of medicine. Just recently, I saw a patient with rheumatic heart disease, which is not something I expected to see."
The students come from a range of backgrounds and have chosen Dubbo as the location for their third-year training.
The School of Rural Health hosted the welcome event so the new students could meet and greet campus staff, tutors and local doctors and clinicians.
Recent School of Rural Health graduates, who are now junior doctors and have taken up intern places at Dubbo Hospital, also attended the event.