An immersion program in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region is building connections between future health professionals and rural communities. Source: UNDA.
Students from the University of Notre Dame Australia and Curtin University participated in the 8th annual Wheatbelt Rural Immersion Program, coordinated by Rural Health West in partnership with the universities and local governments across the Wheatbelt.
In a journey across 14 regional towns, students were offered the opportunity to step away from the lecture theatre and into real-life rural practice, where they were supported by welcoming host families and communities.
This opportunity was designed to open eyes and shape career pathways, with a goal of building lasting connections between future health professionals and rural communities.
Students visited local health services including GP clinics, aged care centres, hospitals and emergency services. They also took part in cultural and community activities, from men’s shed visits to lakeside walks and “teddy bear hospitals” with local school children. These experiences opened students’ eyes to the relationship between rural life and health.
Notre Dame student Amelia Moran, who visited Bruce Rock, was struck by the connection between rural life and health.
“You start to understand why mental health issues are so prominent, or why road trauma hits harder in country towns,” she said. “This experience cemented my interest in rural generalism – and showed me what’s possible.”
The immersion program is an important experience for students, but Wongan-Ballidu Shire President Mandy Stephenson says the community sees the long-term value.
“We do everything we can to show students what life and work in the country is really like. If even one student comes back to work here, that can change a whole town.”
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Rural immersion strengthens skills while building community connections (UNDA)
