Information for Interns and Students

Our practice prides itself on being a teaching clinic. Since 2010 we have housed Registrars, nursing students, medical students on their 5th year rotation, and also 4 and 6th year students for their elective placement. In 2017 we were lucky enough to work with Rural Doctors workforce agency in launching an intern placement, we have 5 interns place for 10 weeks each year. 

We have had great reports from patients seeing our training doctors, and we  love having our interns and students give great feedback about their time here at Boston Bay Family Health practice.

We encourage feedback from patients and their experiences with our training doctors. If you would like to discuss our training services or procedures, please contact Sally Redden on 08 86831800 or sally@bostonbayfamilyhealth.com.au, or feel free to give positive feedback directly to the respective governing bodies we have linked their websites below.

Registrars

In 2011 we were accredited as a rural training Post with Adelaide to Outback General Practice (AOGP) (https://www.aogp.com.au/), now run by GPex (http://www.gpex.com.au/),  for rural Registrar Placements. This meant Kris had much needed workforce support and also, got to teach GPs to practice like she does! We love seeing fresh faces every year and getting to know new GPs and imparting our passion for Rural Medicine on new GPs. And, fingers crossed, one of these days we wont have to say goodbye to them after their 6-18 month placement is up.

Our Registrars have completed a minimum or 2-3 Years in hospital with specialised rotations. After this they are able to be placed to complete their General practice training. Even though they are learning the ropes of General Practice, they are extremely competent and qualified to complete almost all patient requests, however, some patient presentations are specialised to general practice and they may not have seen before in hospital settings, such as ear syringing and treating broken limbs,  but generally these all come through in the first month or so, and they are up to speed in a matter of weeks, Our current registrars are certainly exceeding expectations, and will probably end up teaching Dr Kris a couple things about the current practices in the metro Hospitals.

Our registrars are 100% supported by Dr Kris and Dr Janssen, and are encouraged daily to run patient queries or questions, and in complex cases Dr Kris or Dr Janssen may pop in and discuss treatment plans  with you during your consult.  

We understand it is frustrating for you to get to know a GP who understands your needs, only for them to have to be relocated to another clinic out of town, it is hard also for us to say goodby to GPs that have become part of our BBFHP family.  Although placements are short but sweet, it is with great hope that we provide such a nurturing and amazing experience for them all, that it may plant a seed in their heart for rural general practice. They may not come back to Boston Bay Family Health Practice or Port Lincoln, but they might enrich another rural community who desperately need GP services.

Interns

Funded by Rural Doctors Workforce Agency, Our Interns are qualified Doctors hailing form the city, usually the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

We believe General practice is a specialist field, therefore, they still need to work in collaboration with a GP during their time here. They will often start & finish your visit, along with a brief consultation with a senior GP to comment on their treatment plan and sign a script or referral. 

 Our Interns are fantastic at providing an extra set of hands to our Practice GPs when managing Excisions, complex cases, and hospital admissions. They also relish the opportunity to be present at an obstetric delivery, provide antenatal and post natal care, and sit in on an anaesthetics list or two with Dr Kris or Dr Janssen. 

link website  www.ruraldoc.com.au

Students  

Funded by the Australian Government, University of Adelaide and the Rural Clinic School,  up to 8 students are lucky enough to be placed in Port Lincoln for the Duration of the Fifth year in medical School. A highly sought after opportunity to spend quality time, usually one-on-one, with rural GPs.

As with the Interns, our medical students generally parallel consult, or they will sit in on a GPs consulting day,  Our Student Doctors and Interns work closely with a GP during their time here, and will often start your visit, or be present at your appointment with one of our lovely GP's.

We encourage our patients to put our student doctors to the test & utilise their up-to-date knowledge fresh from the current text's and guidelines. Why not spend 10mins with a med student rather than 10 mins in the waiting room?  

If at any stage you do not feel comfortable seeing a student doctor please advise reception staff and this will be passed on to the doctor your are seeing. While we relish the opportunity to give our students a vast range of presentations , we also respect your wishes and our patient comfort and confidence is paramount. 

Adelaide Uni - health.adelaide.edu.au

Rural Clinic School - health.adelaide.edu.au/rural