Three Tasmanian students won exciting and prestigious scholarships to work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Outback Australia. The presentation of their awards will be held at the RFDS Launceston Base, Western Junction on Tuesday 24 November at 10.00 am.
RFDS Tasmania offers three annual scholarships to provide medical, nursing and dental assistant students with the experience of living in remote Australia and working there with the RFDS. The scholarships aim to encourage future involvement by students in rural and remote medicine and dentistry, especially here in Tasmania. They are funded by RFDS Tasmanian donors and are another example of RFDS' contribution to developing our future rural and remote workforce.
Emily Ingram was nominated as the Fred McKay Medical Student Scholarship recipient in 2015. Emily spent two weeks at the RFDS Broken Hill Base in NSW and two weeks at Launceston with Ambulance Tasmania flight paramedics as an observer, accompanying patients in RFDS aircraft.
Elise How won the Robin Miller RFDS Nursing Scholarship, which comprised two weeks of flying and clinical work at the RFDS Port Augusta Base, SA.
Emily Becker was selected as the 2015 John Flynn Dental Assistant Scholarship recipient and received two weeks flying and clinical work experience at the RFDS Dubbo Base as an assistant to the RFDS Dentist, Dr Kah Chong.
While undertaking their placements the students few to a range of outback locations and worked alongside RFDS doctors, flight nurses, dentists and pilots.
John Kirwan, CEO, RFDS Tasmania said that the scholarships provide an important work and life experience for the students. "The scholarships have given the students the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of medicine in the bush and the means by which people are able to live there with the knowledge that the RFDS is extending the finest care to the furthest corner".
As a charitable, not-for-profit organisation, Tasmanian donors and fundraisers enable RFDS Tasmania to fund the important annual scholarships. The scholarships are administered in partnership with RFDS South Eastern Section, RFDS Central Operations, University of Tasmania, Ambulance Tasmania and TasTAFE.
