Improving the health of our community
Ararat Campus
Girdlestone St, Ararat 3377
Willaura Campus
Delacombe Way, Willaura 3379
Grampians Rural Generalist Intern Year
The Grampians Intern Training Program is a partnership between East Grampians Health Service (Ararat), St John of God Ballarat Hospital and Maryborough District Health Service.
It is a community based intern program where the intern can gain a relevant and thoroughly hands-on experience in the roles and procedures of the rural doctor. The program is designed to create a strong basis for a rural medical career whilst also developing skills transferrable to any medical practice.
This is an innovative model, which provides participants exposure to both public and private health services and regional and rural locations. The core medical and emergency terms are at St John of God Ballarat Hospital. Core surgical terms occur at East Grampians Health Service and Maryborough District Health Service. Surgical terms include daily sessions in theatre and significant exposure to anaesthetics. General Practice terms are at Clarendon Medical Centre and Nightingale Clinic (Maryborough) and Ararat Medical Centre.
The Grampians Intern Training Program is the primary entry level to the Victorian Rural Generalist Training Program – Grampians.
About the Victorian Rural Generalist Program
The Victorian Rural Generalist Program (VRGP) is a state-wide, end-to-end medical training program that enables the future Rural Generalist workforce to train, work and live in rural and regional Victoria. In addition to providing a diverse and rewarding training experience, the long-term objective of the VRGP is to increase the employment of Rural Generalists in rural health services and communities across Victoria.
The VRGP offers trainees the certainty of a defined and supported training pathway all the way through to Fellowship, in the region of their choice.
The VRGP has Regional Coordinators across all regions of rural Victoria. Regional Coordinators will assist trainees to navigate their training pathway and provide career support throughout their training journey and into employment as a Rural Generalist in their region vicruralgeneralist.com.au
Rural Generalist Year 1 (RG1) Program
The Rural Generalist Year 1 (RG1) Program starts off the VRGP pathway with a rural intern training model. Trainees are based in a rural health setting with some rotations to larger health services. There are also non-core rotations to a rural General Practice or community health setting. The RG1 program provides a great introduction to a Rural Generalist career by providing training in both health service and primary cares settings, while working along-side Rural Generalists in their own communities.
To apply for RG1 positions, RG1 trainees should ideally:
- Demonstrate their understanding of, and commitment to, a career as a Rural Generalist
- Identify why they aspire to become a Rural Generalist
- Outline their understanding of Rural Generalist training requirements
- Provide an outline of their preferred Rural Generalist career pathway
The Grampians Rural Generalist
About the Region
The Grampians region offers endless opportunity for discovery and adventure. Home to some of the State’s most spectacular panoramas, the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) is known for its striking sandstone formations, brilliant spring wildflower displays and abundant wildlife.
The sights of the region include cascading waterfalls (including Mackenzie Falls, the State’s largest year-round waterfall), lakes, thermal hot springs, forests, breath-taking rock formations that provide some of Australia’s best rock climbing and abseiling sites, and a plethora of trails for outdoor enthusiasts to explore. Boasting some of the nation’s best meat and dairy produce, catering to even the fussiest foodies, the region also provides ideal conditions for wine-making and includes several wineries listed among the most beautiful in Australia.
If history and cultural experiences are more your thing, the Grampians region area is filled with rich historical significance, including Aboriginal rock art, townships characterised by architecture dating back to the gold rush era, and Australia’s only town founded entirely by Chinese immigrants.
Our Program
The Grampians Rural Generalist Year 1 (RG1) Program offers a strong supportive and structured environment with a range of experiences for trainees, including:
- Case Management – one on one case management in order to prioritise your preferences, placements and rotations throughout the Rural Generalist pathway
- Collaboration with Universities, General Practices, Health Services and GP Colleges (MCCC- RTO) to help navigate your pathway and support you to achieve your career goals and interests
- Structured clinical education aligned with the Victorian Junior Doctor Curriculum Framework, as well as opportunities to develop professionalism, communication, mindfulness and self-awareness
- One-on-one supervision, support and mentorship as requested or required
- A strong sense of community and connection
- The potential for multi-year contracts and certainty around rotations and locations due to our strong relationships with our partner Health Services
The Grampians RG1 program has 3 major Health Services in which you can undertake your training: St John of God Hospital (SJOG) in Ballarat; East Grampians Health Service (EGHS) in Ararat; and Maryborough District Health Service (MDHS) in Maryborough. We also have a strong relationship with Ballarat Health Services (BHS) in Ballarat, and partner BHS for some education and training sessions.
The Grampians RG1 program provides the opportunity to undertake General Practice placements in Ararat and Maryborough, and this opportunity will be expanded to additional sites in the RG2 program. The Grampians region also has opportunities to undertake Rural Generalist Advanced Training (RGA) in:
- Emergency Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Anaesthetics
- Paediatrics
- Mental Health
- Palliative Care
The Grampians VRGP team are passionate about providing the highest quality medical training program in the most diverse and supported way possible, with as many experiences for Junior Doctors as we can offer. We are always happy to talk about our program and the opportunities we can provide for you.
Working in a rural hospital early in my career has been excellent, affording me hands-on experience with a wide range of presentations and procedural skills that I might have otherwise missed. The VRGP has also been extremely supportive, by helping me secure desirable rotations, and facilitating high-quality ongoing education and training.
Dr Angus McCormack
I have been blown away by the experiences available to me as an intern on this program. Ultimately, I feel supported by a great team of doctors, nurses, allied health and non-clinical staff to increasingly develop my responsibility for patients and become part of the community I am working in.”
Dr Meghan Ellis
Being part of the VRGP has done wonders for my career. I’ve been exposed to clinical and professional encounters early on that I don’t think I would have seen had I been working in a metropolitan area or as a non-RG trainee. I’ve been able to be part of the action, make fantastic professional and personal networks and I know I’ll be back again for more.
Dr Daniel Wilson
Services Available
The internship will include:-
- Supervision by highly qualified and experienced Specialists and General Practitioners.
- Access to mentoring and career counselling.
- A diverse education and training program including:
– a formal lecture and seminar program
– Grand Rounds
– bedside training
– clinical simulation and skills workshops
– journal club
– participation in clinical and governance meetings and quality improvement activities
– access to library facilities and information technology to ensure the completion of all the components of the AMC Intern Training: Intern Outcome Statements and Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors
– comprehensive orientation program including unit handbooks and resources.
East Grampians Health Service
East Grampians Health Service is located in Ararat, 2 hours west of Melbourne and takes its name from the magnificent mountain range that provides a backdrop to the municipality. East Grampians Health Service is a leading provider of public health services to communities in western Victoria. The organisation delivers a comprehensive range of services including acute medical, surgical, diagnostic, residential and community based services. There are 29 acute medical and surgical beds, 4 urgent care beds including a behavioural assessment room, 2 Operating Theatres, 6 Day Procedure Beds, 8 Chemotherapy Chairs and 6 Dialysis chairs.
These beds are supported by 24/7 access to Radiology and Dorevitch Pathology Services.
Surgical services include General Surgery, Ear Nose and Throat, Vascular, Emergency Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Urology, Pain Clinic and Dental.
St John of God Ballarat
www.sjog.org.au/hospitals/ballarat
St John of God Ballarat Hospital is the largest private not-for-profit hospital in regional Victoria. Since opening in 1915 it has grown to 196 beds and provides an extensive range of health care, providing city services to residents living in Ballarat and western Victoria. We offer a wide range of services, caring for inpatients, outpatients and day patients across a range of specialties including maternity, medical, surgical, rehabilitation and allied health.
The hospital is equipped with five wards, an emergency department with 13 treatment rooms and a short stay unit, five operating theatres, a cardiac and vascular angiography suite and day procedure centre.
St John of God Ballarat Hospital is a division of St John of God Health Care, one of Australia’s largest health care providers.
Maryborough District Health Service
Maryborough District Health Service is a dynamic small rural health services in Victoria, providing innovative, integrated and comprehensive health care to a diverse community. There are three hospital campuses: the main one in Maryborough and others at Avoca and Dunolly. At the Maryborough Hospital site, there are 28 acute medical and surgical beds, 5 urgent care beds, an operating theatre, 6 day procedure beds, 4 day procedure chairs and 6 dialysis chairs. These beds are supported by 24/7 access to Lake Imaging and Dorevitch Pathology Services.
General Practices
The general practices involved in Grampians Medical Training are accredited teaching practices in accordance with RACGP and ACRRM standards and regularly host medical students and registrars. GP Obstetricians and GP Anaesthetists are employed at the practices. All GPs are fully credentialed to provide medical services at their local hospitals.
Clarendon Medical Centre – Maryborough
Nightingale Medical Centre – Maryborough
Ararat Medical Centre – Ararat
General Information
Conditions of Employment
The conditions and salary rates will be as per the Doctors In Training Enterprise Agreement 2022-2026
Accommodation
Fully furnished accommodation is available for the entire internship.
Employee benefits
Interns are able to share in the employee benefits provided to all staff, including salary packaging, employee assistance program and staff wellbeing programs. Further information will be provided at orientation.
Grampians Rural Generalist Intern Year
Grampians Rural Generalist Intern Year has 5 intern positions through the PMCV Computer Match.
Commonwealth Junior Doctor Training Program – Interns – 1st Year (RG1) – 3 Posts (2022)
The Grampians Intern Training Program also offers 3 additional intern positions through the Commonwealth Junior Doctor Training Program – Private Hospital Stream. See https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/work-junior-doctor-training-program-private-hospital-stream for further information.
We strongly recommend that applicants for these Commonwealth funded positions still apply through the PMCV website.
Victorian-Rural-Generalist-Program-Rural-Generalist-Intern-Year-2021-Fact-Sheet-pdf
2020 Victorian Rural Medical Scholarship Scheme – Guidelines
2020 Victorian Rural Medical Scholarship Scheme – Frequently asked questions
Contact Details
For enquiries please contact:
East Grampians Health Service
Ph: (03) 0428 015 393 (Kim Lane)
E: kim.lane@eghs.net.au
