The Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) program is a 19-week apprenticeship model of experiential learning in a rural community for Year 5 JMP students. Students see patients with their GP supervisor and then follow the patient journey to hospital, allied health services, rehabilitation, aged care and returning home to their community.
Here, we meet LIC supervising doctor (Inverell), Dr Amanda Bentel of Inverel Medical Centre.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a Sydney girl-born and bred. Training was completed at Sydney university with a strong emphasis on academic performance and research.
It clearly bore no relationship to work in general practice and work in a country setting! However, as a trainee in the old FMP programme I was placed in Inverell with wonderful mentors who showed me the positives of country living and the real benefits of being able to provide medical services in a country practice.
How are you involved with the LIC program?
I have been affiliated with the University of New England for a decade as an outreach placement for having medical students in their GP rotation.
The LIC has provided an extended length of time for training for year 5 students as a follow on from the original programme.
Why should med students participate in the LIC, and why should they train in Inverell?
It is a unique opportunity to have hands on learning in a supported environment with people who value their contribution-both patients and doctors. As they are the only undergraduates placed here, there is no competition for access to providing patient care with multiple layers of interns/residents/registrars of the larger centres.
Tell us about the facilities you work in.
We provide general practice care in a group setting with three principal doctors and also registrars from the RACGP and ACCRM.
The practice provides true cradle to grave medicine with special interests in obstetric, women’s health, mental health, anaesthetics and procedures e.g. skin excisions.
A part from the doctors, there are nursing staff each day to help with procedural work as well as helping with chronic care management and visiting podiatrists, sleep study technicians and outreach cardiology providing ECHO service and telehealth.
What do you consider the benefits of practicing medicine in country areas?
The biggest privilege is being allowed to be part of your patients’ lives and walk the journey with them over the years,
The smaller country area allows you to see how each person is connected to the wider community.
The scope of what you can and are expected to do is much wider in a country area which in turn provides better job satisfaction.
Why did you get into medicine?
The sciences have always interested me, but the part I have found most interesting is being able to hear how people think and feel which has been much more fascinating.
What do you enjoy doing outside of your work?
Gardening, baking (currently doing an online baking course and using work to sample the efforts!) and travel.
What do you hope the future of the LIC program looks like?
My wish is that this program widens to allow more people to experience country living and provides opportunities to stay and become part of the community.
