Shepparton is a great place for a long weekend _ wineries, restaurants, galleries, rivers, lakes, history _ but it is also the home of an outstanding hospital, Goulburn Valley Health, that copes with the injuries and ailments of tourists and fruit pickers on top of the needs of the local population."It's a good place to work,'' second year HMO Roshan Reginald tells us, "everyone knows everyone in the hospital and everyone is willing to help you out.
"In terms of patients it is good, you may see them for one thing, and then bump into them around the hospital for something else, you get that follow-up. It is such a small community you end up treating their families. That is a good thing about a rural hospital, you have that community atmosphere.''
Dr Reginald, who also has a commerce degree, has not yet decided on his specialisation.
"Either emergency medicine or anaesthetics. I like the acute sort of medicine. The interesting part about anaesthetics is the science behind it. You may be putting someone to sleep for a simple procedure or a life-threatening emergency, but you are still in charge of that person's life and survival.
"Branching out from anaesthetics there is retrieval medicine, where you are based in Melbourne, but maybe we have a serious patient in Shepparton, so a retrieval team will come out, stabilise the patient and take them back to a major trauma centre. There is also a lot of pain management with anaesthesia.
"Different people experience pain in different ways, so there are different ways to handle it, and anaesthesia gives you the tools to handle it. I like emergency medicine because it presents a variety of cases _ cardiac cases, children and traumas.
"The only downside is that when something really interesting happens you only get to stabilise the patient, then another team comes in and does the definitive action. Ideally I would like to do anaesthesia a couple of days and a couple of days in emergency.''
Dr Reginald's career in medicine derives from his interest in the biological sciences.
"After doing the commerce degree I realised that science is what I am really interested in, but I didn't want to be stuck in a lab doing research, and I wasn't interested in engineering, so that is why I chose this path.''
Although Dr Reginald appreciates his experience at Goulburn Valley Health, and enjoys life in Shepparton, the tug of family will probably take him back to Melbourne. "But I would like to come back to a place like Shepparton a couple of times a year and work,'' he says.
"I could never see myself working in Sydney. Like the people who live in Shepparton, they go down to Melbourne but they would never live there.''
Intern Tara Smith's interest in medicine goes way back. ``When I was younger I was always the one who wanted to accompany everyone to the doctor, there was a fascination from the beginning. So when in Year 12 when I did well enough I applied and got in. Since I have been in it I have really enjoyed it, hearing peoples' stories. Hearing things that you would not normally hear is an interesting part of the job.''
Dr Smith intends to continue working in the country. ``I did my time in the city, that is all well and good, but I feel more at home out here, and there is such a need for doctors out this way. But in order to do most training you have to go back to the city, so there is more city time ahead for me before I head back out here.
"Most of the friends I made at university have moved back to the country. And I have convinced my boyfriend to become a country boy.''
Anaesthetics is also an enthusiasm for Dr Smith. "My first rotation was in anaesthetics. That was a really great rotation, not one that is commonly available, I was very lucky to have done it. The one-on-one teaching and hands-on experience was really good. I am leaning towards anaesthetics after that rotation, but I am hoping to do another general year next year, just to feel out what areas I am good at and which ones I enjoy.
"We are very well supported here, Shepparton is a great hospital, there is always someone you can talk to if you have any problems.
"Even if you are having problems with housing there are people you can talk to. There is support in every area.
"Shepparton is a very nice place, the weather is beautiful. Over the summer there is a lot going on _ the Arts Festival, and the East Bank Centre has performances, they had The Pirates of Penzance the other week, and comedians coming down with the Comedy Festival. There are always things to see and do, Shepparton has a lot to offer.''
