She’s already a qualified pharmacist and now Northern Rivers-born Sophie Wagner is studying to become a doctor as well. Sophie, whose mother Fiona is a well-known doctor working at St Vincent’s in Lismore, grew up in Woodburn and completed high school at Summerland Christian College and later Trinity Catholic College. Her father Stephen is a local mechanical engineer and farms sugar cane and cattle. She finished a four-year pharmacy degree at The University of Queensland before undertaking her full registration at Dubbo Base Hospital where she got a close-up look at the medical world. Later, she worked in a local pharmacy in Sydney. Now Sophie is in her third year of medicine at The University of Sydney, a milestone marked by supervised practicum placements in clinical settings that include hospitals and primary care.
Opting to spend the 40-week period in a rural/regional area, Sophie has joined 16 other USyd medical students whose local placements in teaching hospitals, GP practices and community and Indigenous health services are being coordinated by The University Centre for Rural Health. The UCRH has campuses adjacent to the hospitals in Lismore, Grafton and Murwillumbah, and close working relationships with the Northern NSW Local Health District and the North Coast Primary Health Network.
During their year-long residency students engage in a range of placements that introduce them to specialised areas of medicine they may choose to follow in the future. These include surgery, emergency medicine, obstetrics, chronic disease management, general practice and Indigenous health. Doctor-to-be Sophie Wagner told GP Speak she is delighted to return to the Northern Rivers after working in big city hospitals, and thinks she will come back here to work some time after graduation, but in which medical field is too early to tell.
“Perhaps as a rural GP, or as a rural specialist,” she added, “but there’s still a long way to go.
Before setting foot in any health facilities the USyd student group embarked on a two-day cultural immersion program in Evans Head focusing on Aboriginal culture and health.
“The aim is to give a better understanding of how to build relationships when working clinically with Aboriginal people, and give the students an opportunity to talk with Aboriginal people about their real life experiences,” Academic Lead and program coordinator Emma Walke said.
Understanding family relationships was a key part of the UCRH's cultural immersion program for University of Sydney medical students beginning a 40-week placement on the NSW North Coast. Pictured: Darlene Rotumah (l) and Emma Walke whose extended family is shown.“
The two days included a yarning circle, and some tasks and challenges, such as making fishing nets and canoeing.
“Going bush may take them out of their comfort zone, but the experiences will be priceless, and a great benefit to their careers.” UCRH director Professor Bailie added, “The cultural immersion program for medical students addresses the importance of ensuring that new generations of doctors have a sound understanding of Aboriginal culture and history.
“This will enable them to understand the underlying determinants of health and enhancing their ability to relate appropriately to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and colleagues.” In a secondary-educational first for the North Coast, the UCRH has announced a program aimed at encouraging Indigenous students from Year 8 upwards to consider a career in medicine, allied health and nursing.
Prof Bailie said the initiative is a key part of UCRH’s commitment to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this region and Australia-wide. Baribunmani Wanyi Ngay - Bundjalung for “I dreamed about you” - will begin in three local high schools in the first school term of this year. It is being coordinated by Emma Walke and Darlene Rotumah, and draws on experiences from a health academy program at Broken Hill, with local adaptation.
“We want to be able to show Goori students the gamut of careers that are available in health and inspire their confidence to know they can do it,” Ms Walke said. Prof Bailie said the program is another of UCRH’s student-focused initiatives aimed at increasing the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health workforce.
“Encouraging and supporting school-aged children to take up health careers is a vital step in the systematic, multi-pronged and long-term approach to improving health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” he said. UCRH is also hosting The University of Sydney’s Graduate of Indigenous Health Promotion, a year-long course starting in early February.
“We plan for a cohort of 15 local people to attend the course, which gives opportunities for employment but also brings more of our mob into the learning environment of the UCRH Lismore campus,” Emma Walke said. UCRH is liaising with local health service providers to arrange placements for those students who may not already be engaged in health careers.
Prof Baillie said UCRH’s commitment to these programs is aimed at addressing the wide gap in health status, access and quality of care between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“These are vital initiatives in developing the health workforce in Australia generally. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up a relatively high proportion of the population in rural areas, including here in the Northern Rivers, so these initiatives are of even greater importance in our context”, he added.
“I congratulate Emma Walke and her small team in taking the lead on these initiatives, and thank members of the Aboriginal community, local and other organisations who have contributed to this important work.”
