Business backs rural scholarships
http://www.bendigoweekly.com/articles/6388/1/Business-backs-rural-scholarships/Page1.html
By News Report
Published on 05/7/2008
LOCAL businesses have taken out their cheque books for a second year to support a Monash University program that trains doctors in rural and regional Victoria.
Salary Options and Elmore Primary Health each approached the university offering an annual scholarship for medical students who are training in regional Victoria.
Bendigo Regional Clinical School director Geoff Solarsh said the sponsors’ generosity made a big difference to country students.
“The financial support assists the recipient with expenses in relocating to Melbourne and beginning the first two years of their course,” he said.
“The rest of the program is all about showing students first hand that there’s a rewarding career in rural medical practice.”
Salary Options scholarship winner Johanna Kelly hails from Kerang and wants to return to the country to practice.
“There’s a real closeness between everyone in a small town that you don’t get in a big city,” Ms Kelly said.
Elmore Primary Health scholarship winner, Elizabeth Buchholz from Mingay, south-west of Ballarat, agreed.
“There’s a great support network in a country community,” Ms Buchholz said.
Both students are taking part in the Extended Rural Cohort program, which gives preference to students from rural and regional areas and conducts most of the training in northern Victorian
hospitals and practices.
“It’s a unique program that’s generating lots of
local support as shown by our two scholarship
sponsors,” Professor Solarsh said.
Salary Options managing director John Drill said the objective of the program was to increase the number of medical students who had spent their formative years in
regional Victoria completing the bulk of their training in centres such as Bendigo and Swan Hill
The scholarship has been set up to assist
students with the cost
of moving to Melbourne for the first two years
of their degree.
“Studies have shown medical students who have established links
with regional communities are more likely to return to these communities,” Mr Drill said.
An information session about the ERC
program for Year 11 and 12 students who are thinking of studying
medicine, will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 7.30pm at the Bendigo Regional Clinical
School, 26-28 Mercy Street Bendigo.
LOCAL businesses have taken out their cheque books for a second year to support a Monash University program that trains doctors in rural and regional Victoria.
Funding bids to provide doctors for the bush
LOCAL businesses have taken out their cheque books for a second year to support a Monash University program that trains doctors in rural and regional Victoria.
Salary Options and Elmore Primary Health each approached the university offering an annual scholarship for medical students who are training in regional Victoria.
Bendigo Regional Clinical School director Geoff Solarsh said the sponsors’ generosity made a big difference to country students.
“The financial support assists the recipient with expenses in relocating to Melbourne and beginning the first two years of their course,” he said.
“The rest of the program is all about showing students first hand that there’s a rewarding career in rural medical practice.”
Salary Options scholarship winner Johanna Kelly hails from Kerang and wants to return to the country to practice.
“There’s a real closeness between everyone in a small town that you don’t get in a big city,” Ms Kelly said.
Elmore Primary Health scholarship winner, Elizabeth Buchholz from Mingay, south-west of Ballarat, agreed.
“There’s a great support network in a country community,” Ms Buchholz said.
Both students are taking part in the Extended Rural Cohort program, which gives preference to students from rural and regional areas and conducts most of the training in northern Victorian
hospitals and practices.
“It’s a unique program that’s generating lots of
local support as shown by our two scholarship
sponsors,” Professor Solarsh said.
Salary Options managing director John Drill said the objective of the program was to increase the number of medical students who had spent their formative years in
regional Victoria completing the bulk of their training in centres such as Bendigo and Swan Hill
The scholarship has been set up to assist
students with the cost
of moving to Melbourne for the first two years
of their degree.
“Studies have shown medical students who have established links
with regional communities are more likely to return to these communities,” Mr Drill said.
An information session about the ERC
program for Year 11 and 12 students who are thinking of studying
medicine, will be held on Tuesday, May 13 at 7.30pm at the Bendigo Regional Clinical
School, 26-28 Mercy Street Bendigo.