Here are five key reasons to pack your bags and head rural for an incredible opportunity to shine.

Both personally and professionally, the benefits to heading rural for your health placement are numerous.

Healthcare workers are needed and appreciated in smaller communities. You will walk into your placement setting feeling warmly welcomed. Become a familiar face, trusted by the community you serve, while discovering a strong sense of community as a vital and valued member.

If you want to grow your career and have the experience of a lifetime, a rural health placement is just the ticket for you.

1. Diverse Clinical Experiences

During a rural clinical placement, you will be exposed to a diverse range of clinical experiences which will expand your knowledge, skills and capabilities. Put simply, your placement will be guaranteed to be interesting in a rural, regional or remote area.

Health professionals in rural areas often see situations they might not normally come across in an urban setting, especially as rural life brings about a whole different set of health and lifestyle factors. You never know what will come through the door next.

You will encounter a broad range of health conditions and provide services in a rural context that will expand your clinical skills and knowledge. A rural health placement means you will get to do a little bit of everything and develop a broad clinical skillset.

Overall, you will be a well-rounded health professional with a wide range of skills and experience under your belt that you will carry throughout your career.

2. Enhanced Cultural Capability

Working in a rural health setting often means working with diverse groups of people. You will have the opportunity to learn with, from and about different cultural groups including First Nations peoples.

Know that you are making a difference in communities that historically have had challenges accessing healthcare, and gain skills to apply throughout your career.

3. Work as Part of a Team

Work daily as an integral part of a team. Regional and rural health staff often work within smaller teams, which provides opportunities to develop strong working relationships which will support your professional growth.

Develop a close working relationship with your clinical supervisor to learn invaluable clinical skills. Make new friends to socialise with outside of work and to explore your new area.

You will also have greater access to professional development and support networks that will foster skills, develop leadership and offer you further opportunities to gain employment after graduation.

4. Experience Interprofessional Learning

While on a rural placement you will have an opportunity to work and learn with students and clinicians from a variety of health disciplines. This interprofessional learning experience will help you to develop the knowledge and skills to practice in an interprofessional manner.

Working within a rural healthcare team, you will understand the unique expertise that each discipline brings to finding solutions for health problems and how to work collaboratively towards patient centred goals. Interprofessional learning will help you become ‘work ready’ as part of a workforce better prepared to improve the health and wellbeing of rural communities.

5. Experience Adventures of Rural Life

Working in our regions is more than just a job. Rural placements offer unique opportunities to explore our beautiful country and to become an integral member of the local community. There’s something about the open spaces, fresh air and the friendly faces that students fall in love with.

Experience towns with a distinct old-world charm and enjoy the minimal traffic and laidback country lifestyle. With its picturesque and unspoiled wilderness, there are so many adventures on offer across Southern Queensland. On your days off, try your hand at fishing in the many rivers and lakes, take a plunge in the hot artesian springs, take a four-wheel driving adventure over rugged plains or go camping and lay under stars which stretch forever.

Get involved in the community and attend one of the many events in your local area such as camel races, bucking rodeos, art exhibitions, music concerts, shopping markets, camp oven festivals, flower carnivals, parades, melon festivals and so much more.

We promise you will make memories that last forever. You may just want to stay. We hope so.

Undertaking a rural placement may be daunting but you're not alone! Our experienced team of Clinical Educators will be there to support you every step of the way, providing you with the advice and guidance you need to make the most out of your rural placement.

Click below to meet our team of Clinical Educators.

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Make sure to check out Student Stories to read about what students, just like yourself, experienced when going on a rural placement!

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A University Department of Rural Health

Why Go Rural?

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