MD – Extended Rural Cohort Melbourne Medical School

MD – Extended Rural Cohort
FAQs
Melbourne
Medical
School
Q. What is the Extended Rural Cohort (ERC)?
A. The ERC stream is a collaborative initiative between the University of Melbourne and
Monash University. It has been developed to provide rural training for students interested in
practicing medicine in a rural or regional location. ERC students are expected to spend at
least 2 years at the Rural Clinical School (RCS) - Bendigo (Monash) Shepparton or
Wangaratta. The community based year (Year 3 MD) will be delivered in a rural community
setting, instead of at present in a solely hospital based setting.
Q. What is NVRMEN?
A. Northern Victoria Regional Medical Education Network (NVRMEN) refers to the network of
sites at which the students will be placed.
Q. Why was NVRMEN/ERC formed?
A. It was a combined initiative between the University of Melbourne and Monash University
funded by the Federal Government to address the rural workforce mal-distribution. Thirty
additional student placements were created for each university. A key component of the
program is immersion in a rural community setting for 12 months - this community teaching
program leads to very good exam results as shown in other studies.
This is because students:
- Are exposed to undifferentiated illness at an early stage.
- Learn to take a history and targeted examination with nearly every clinical encounter.
- Are supported individually by GP trainers who are experienced educators.
- Students enjoy themselves.
Q. Which Rural Clinical School (RCS) site can ERC students attend?
A. Year 2 - Same as all RCS students
Year 3 - We match students up at one of our ERC locations, either: Shepparton, Echuca,
Wangaratta, Mt Beauty, Cobram, Corowa, Yarrawonga, Benalla or Mansfield.
Year 4 - Same as all RCS students
Q. How is the curriculum structured for students attending Bendigo?
A. Monash University and the UoM have completed a thorough curriculum mapping exercise
that revealed minimal gaps between the two curricula. One difference is that the Monash
Year 3 students have in the past commenced their academic year approximately a week

earlier in February compared to UoM for orientation, which UoM students are encouraged to
attend. Bendigo students will sit the same exams as all UoM medical students.
Q. How is the ERC different to the regular UoM medical curriculum?
A. Year 2 - Same as all UoM medical student curriculum.
Year 3 - “Community Based Year”
Year 4 – This is yet to be finalised – but ERC students will be offered a „Vocational
Selective” (could be metro).
Q. Are there any differences with examinations?
A. The exams are the same for all UoM medical students. Due to the format of the
Community Based Year, (Year 3)) the majority of the assessment takes place at the end of
year, except for psychiatry which was assessed in 2011 at the end of the first semester. The
rest of the assessments need to be at the end due to the integrated delivery over the entire 2
semesters.
Q. Where are the “Community Based Year” locations?
A. Shepparton, Echuca, Wangaratta, Mt Beauty, Cobram, Corowa, Yarrawonga, Benalla or
Mansfield.
Q. What will I learn in the “Community Based Year?”
A. The same curriculum as other UoM medical students - Child and Adolescent Health,
Women‟s Health, Psychiatry, GP and Aged Care.
Q. What are the hours during the “Community Based Year?”
A. It is expected that you are available from 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. Occasionally
learning opportunities occur outside of these hours. In the past students have been expected
to be available in the evening and on some weekends.
Q. How will the teaching happen?
A. All practices currently take UoM semester 12 students and are highly experienced GP
teachers. Most are affiliated with vocational training for GP registrars.
Q. Will I be ready to see patients?
A. In this model, students will be given the appropriate training prior to commencing the
“Community Based Year”. In the first 6 weeks of your placement, 3 of these weeks will be
intensive training, delivered in either Shepparton or Wangaratta.

Q. Will I be alone in the “Community Based Year?”
A. Students will be placed in pairs during the “Community Based Year”, some placements will
have more than 2 students at each location.
Q. Can I choose where I am located for the “Community Based Year?”
A. Students will be able to express preferences for sites and practices. A standard allocation
process is in place.
Q. How much will it cost for me to live at the accommodation?
A. The plan is for ERC students to pay the same as RCS students, which is $40pw (as at
semester 1 2012) for accommodation for 5 semesters. This will also include the “Community
Based Year”.
Q. Do I need a vehicle or is there transport available?
A. It is recommended that all ERC students have their own reliable transport. Sites vary with
travel requirements and distances.
Q. As an ERC student, how many semesters will I be placed at the RCS for?
A. MD ERC students will spend at least 4 semesters rurally, 2 semesters (Year 2) will be at one
of our RCS large regional locations and 2 semesters (Year 3) which will be spent in the
„Community Based Year‟ somewhere in Northern Victoria. *Year 4 planning is still in progress.
Q. Would spending time rurally disadvantage my chance of internship selection at my
preferred location?
A. The majority of RCS students receive their first preference for internship location.
Q. Is it possible to defer an ERC place?
A. Deferral of a place may be required because of personal circumstances but because of
the limited capacity of teaching practices numbers are "capped" to some extent, so finding
a place in a subsequent cohort may be problematic.
Q. Can I join the ERC?
A. The ERC Program Coordinator Di Doyle, is keeping a reserve list of interested students keen
to participate in the ERC. Expressions of interest detailing reasons why students wish to
participate in the community year should be directed in writing to Di Doyle
ddoyle@unimelb.edu.au and Dr Keppel pkeppel@unimelb.edu.au. Preference will be given
to students who demonstrate a commitment to rural medicine.