THE future of rural health in Queensland is in safe hands with the next generation of ambitious young medical professionals ready to give back.
Patrick Rice, 22, is in his final year of his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at JCU and has spent the last 20 weeks undertaking placement in the remote Far Northern communities of Thursday Island and Bamaga.
Patrick, who is originally from Beaudesert south of Brisbane, comes from a line of medical practitioners, with his father Dr Michael Rice, a prominent GP in the region and his mother an occupational therapist.
Patrick said he decided to get into medicine due to both his interest in science and a sense of wanting to give back to the community.
"I was always academic and into science and community involvement through medicine gives the best of both those worlds.
"From the doctors I knew, they were not just doctors, there was a lot more to life than just treating patients, they were often involved in their communities and do a lot on the side and I like that element."
Patrick started studying at JCU's Townsville campus in 2014 and was there for three years before transferring to Cairns to undertake the remainder of his degree.
"I am doing an extended rural placement up here on Thursday Island, you have to do 10 weeks and I opted to do a double dip in my sixth, and final year."
Patrick said he elected to go to the remote Far North communities to practice a broad range of different skills.
"The medicine is very different up here and the doctors have to have a lot of different skills and provide a lot of services as the closest tertiary hospital is in Cairns, some 1000km away.
"You get to do a lot, from community health, wards, maternity, aesthetics, surgery, there's a broad range of skills and it is very different culturally, it's a very different Australia."
Patrick said he had enjoyed building a relationship with patients and providing a continuity of care which may not have been possible in larger centres.
"One of the benefits here, is that if you're working in ED, you might have the same patient you've seen in the GP clinic or on the ward.
"It's that continuity of care, the whole element of medicine which is something you get to see a bit more up here and it's been quite valuable."
Patrick said he was still assessing his next move after he graduates but was looking to apply for work on either the Sunshine Coast or in Cairns, which allow junior doctors to do rural placements.
"I'm definitely looking forward to doing rural terms, both those hospitals offer great rural placements.
"I am just looking forward to being a good junior doctor... to get good general skills to take out to be a good clinician, whether in a rural town or regional centre like Cairns or Townsville."
Patrick is one of about 50 junior doctors who will be attending the Rural Doctor's Association of Queensland conference in Cairns this week.
He said he was looking forward to networking and learning from those more experienced in rural health.
"Rural doctors are the most friendly, engaging and happy to teach doctors you'll meet.
"They have some very interesting life stories, a lot of different skill sets and are a wealth of knowledge."
RDAQ president Dr Neil Beaton said RDAQ prided itself on mentoring students from Queensland's medical schools.
He said RDAQ members had the opportunity to sponsor students to attend the annual conference, access workshops and learn from their peers.
