Extended Rural Cohort Program - School of Rural Health ...

Welcome
Congratulations on being part of an extraordinary and innovative program!
I hope you will find your time as part of the Northern Victoria Rural Medical
Education Network Extended Rural Cohort (NVRMEN ERC) exciting,
challenging, and most of all, rewarding.
Other Universities, such as Flinders, Harvard and the University of Washington
have run extended rural clinical education programs, for small numbers of
students. NVRMEN however, is the first multi-university program that brings
together expertise from two world-class medical schools, to train 60 students
per year in such a program.
Just like developing a space program that sends rockets and people into space,
we expect there may be a few challenges, and a few ‘course corrections’
needed on the way.
The fantastic part about being involved in an innovative program is that the
best people who have a sense of adventure (i.e. clinical teachers and students),
are doing their best to ensure everything works. And of course, where things
aren’t perfect, we’ll be working hard to make them better.
And, just like a rocket on course to the moon, we will need your feedback, early
and often, to ensure those course corrections for a smooth and successful
flight.
I look forward to working closely with all of you, as we go on this amazing
adventure together.
I know we all share the goal of helping you become outstanding doctors who
may be future rural doctors (and maybe even academic leaders for rural medical
education?).
The future really is yours and I look forward to sharing your experience and
seeing your success in your NVMEN ERC training.
Yours most sincerely,
Professor Dawn DeWitt
Chair, Rural Health Academic Centre and Clinical Dean
www.unimelb.edu.au