Southern Downs Medical
Address
11 Denham St, Stanthorpe, QLD, 4380, AUSTRALIA
About the Placement
Placement Type: GP Clinic
Southern Downs Medical helps students to develop skills in relating to patients, exceptional history taking, and formulating a logical approach to diagnosis. Students are able to see patients independently in a dedicated room, before being reviewed by the GP. They have a dedicated patient base that are familiar with students in the practice, and supportive of their education. Students will have exposure to minor procedures such as cryotherapy, punch biopsies, injections etc in a supervised capacity.
Opportunities for Students
Students may also have the opportunity to spend time at Stanthorpe Hospital.
About Stanthorpe
Thanks to its unique microclimate and granitic soil, Stanthorpe is nationally recognised for its winemaking and diversity of produce. Look out for apples, pears, berries, stone fruit, persimmons, figs, olives and a huge range of vegetables in season. Wander through Stanthorpe and surrounding villages and you’ll also discover award-winning artisan bread and meat pies, gourmet outlets, locally cured meats, hand-made jams and preserves, farmhouse cheeses, vinegar, chocolates and olive oil!
Close-by attractions include;
- Girraween National Park
- Granite Belt Maze
- Walk around Quart Pot Creek
- Local Markets - Stanthorpe, Warwick, Killarney, Allora, Wallangarra
- Apple and Grape Harvest Festival - late February/early March
- Stanthorpe Berry Festival - November
Website
Getting there
Distance from Brisbane: 212km (2h 50m drive time)
Transport Options: Bus, Drive
Accommodation Type: Hospital accommodation (650m to practice)
Transport required for placement: Advantageous - 1.5km to CBD
Tips from previous students
- Get involved in the consultations as much as you can from day 1 - there are plenty of opportunities to see patients by yourself and learn!
- Great food and wine region with plenty of venues within a 30min drive to visit.
- Group sports available casually with hospital staff and residents of the nursing quarters. Group dinner once a week organised by same group who organise the sport.
- Be prepared to have a chat with the patients. Over-the-top formality can be really off-putting, and patients instead really appreciate having someone who can talk to them about how the farm is going and their health conditions all in the same conversation.
- Be prepared for extremely variable weather! It can be 25C one day and 2C the next
- Hiking, park run, exploring the local cafes, visiting nearby apple and strawberry farms, winery tours and tasting sessions
Testimonials
My preceptor was quite friendly, and the other staff at the practice were also very welcoming. My preceptor was a great teacher and allowed for many learning opportunities.
My preceptor was an amazing preceptor who encouraged me to see plenty of patients on my own in order to develop my consultation skills and confidence. The practice staff were equally supportive and allowed me to gain plenty of practice with different procedural skills.
The team at Southern Downs Medical are absolutely wonderful! The Stanthorpe community is also extremely welcoming, friendly, and genuine. I am very interested now to practice in Stanthorpe in the future or at least return during training.
I learnt a lot, practised a lot, and did a lot.
The preceptor was amazing. He was friendly and provided a relaxed and supportive environment to develop clinical consultation skills. He made sure to include me in interesting cases, and took the opportunity to teach me a lot of the details in general practice that we aren't really taught in university. His practice staff and nurses were also very helpful and friendly. The practice itself was also very modern and had all the latest clinical equipment which I had the opportunity to utilise.