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Doctors to head back to Coast after graduation

Study | Newsroom

Rural Clinical School students joined their peers in Hobart for the December graduation ceremony.

Twenty-nine of the graduating cohort spent a year or more on clinical placements across the North West Coast.

Seven graduates will return to the Coast, to Mersey and Burnie hospitals in 2025.

Professor Shires, Director of the Rural Clinical School said, “We are very proud of our final year students who have graduated in 2024.

“We are also very grateful to all our staff and clinical teachers who taught and mentored them throughout their time at the Rural Clinical School.

"We are particularly excited to be graduating students who have spent four years on the Coast and formed part of our pilot program to enable us to have the five year medicine course on the Coast."

Akindu Wijayasinghe and Kavija Ratnayake who are from the North-West Coast have been part of the early years program at the Rural Clinical School since Year 2.  “Being able to study and work close to home has made a huge difference to our medical journey – we are looking forward to continuing to work in the North West and help future medical students.”

Students in the Rural Clinical School graduating cohort have attributed their success in their degree to studying on the North-West Coast and being part of such a supportive community.

Professor Shires said, “It is brilliant to see our students complete their study of medicine on the North-West Coast.”

Professor Shires said students learn what living in the region is like, and the unique, varied training opportunities it provides during their degree and following graduation.

“Rural medical students enjoy being part of our local community, having seven RCS students continue on as interns on the North-West Coast is brilliant and we look forward to working with these young aspiring doctors in the hospitals and in general practice."