Date: October 2025
Location: Chinchilla
University: The University of Queensland
Field of Study: Master of Dietetics

What did you enjoy most about your rural placement?

I loved the sense of community out here in Chinchilla. It was nice and uplifting to go on daily sunset walks where people you walk past stop to chat to you. Our supervisors were fantastic and always checked in with us. They were pivotal in making Chinchilla feel like a second home! Our placement was project-based, and it was an awesome feeling autonomous in doing it. We were the only student dietitians around for 100s of kilometres, so having that level of trust really made me feel like I grew leaps and bounds in a professional sense.

Would you recommend a rural placement to other students? Why?

Absolutely! I've already told my friends who will do Dietetics next year to place Chinchilla as their first preference for rural. The accommodation and the supervisors here were fantastic, and the sunsets are unmatched.

What are your top tips for students considering a rural placement?

My top tips are:

1. Say yes to all the opportunities that may come up! The work you do out here is so fulfilling and it'll help you grow both professionally and personally.

2. Take the opportunity when you're out here for more than a month to make a great routine for yourself. There's an awesome gym here, beautiful areas to walk, and the accommodation even has bikes - totally recommend cycling around sunset.

Did you stay in SQRH accommodation or have interaction with SQRH staff?

Yes to both.

Neelam and Colleen were the best CEs I could've hoped for! Even though they aren't dietitians, their help in reaching certain people in the community (for our project) was instrumental to our success. They are kind-hearted and warm people, who made our stay SO enjoyable!

The house was so clean, tidy, and spacious. The kitchen is bigger than the one in my apartment back home, so I actually liked cooking even more out here!