UCRH winners of the ARHEN student photo competition

UCRH winners of the ARHEN student photo competition

The Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) recently held a photo competition open to  undergraduate UDRH students on rural placement.  The entries were to include a clear visual reference to a positive element of clinical placement.  Almost 50 entries were received across the network including one video.  While we didn’t take out the top prize we love the local UCRH winning entries.

Congratulations to Tamishka De Silva who took out the UCRH top prize  with a photo of a Ballina icon, and our runner up Shannon Lees for her interesting take on her experience at a Wellness Day for students.

Winner UCRH

Tamishka De Silva

Sinking my teeth into a fantastic rural experience!

Sinking my teeth into a fantastic rural medicine experience! The Northern Rivers is a beautiful part of NSW, offering the ultimate combination of a rural location with some of the best beaches in Australia. I had the opportunity to undertake a year-long rural placement as a medical student, and I have fallen in love with this area and lifestyle. Rural medicine is an experience like no other.

Runner up UCRH

Shannon Lees

Wellness Day

One of the best aspects I have found while completing a rural year during medical school is the emphasis placed on living a holistic and balanced life, particularly with regards to emotional well-being. This photo was taken during the “Wellness Day” our rural clinical school organised; it was a day full of workshops, activities and presentations on how to maintain mental health and well-being as a doctor, and provided practical tools and skills on how to do so. The activity in the photo involved a group of us drawing what part of our “ideal life” would look like, and then superimposing on top of it how medicine impacts on that. The day ended with a BBQ and swim in the ocean – definitely an ideal picture of what rural practice can look like!