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

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.

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.