Tara Health Service and Medical Centre

Address

15 Belton St, Tara, QLD, 4421, AUSTRALIA

About the Placement

Placement Type: GP Clinic and Hospital

Some of the services offered to Tara Medical Centre patients include: general medicine, home visits, family planning, ante-natal care, minor surgery, removal of skin cancers, moles and lesions, liquid nitrogen – freezing therapy and chronic disease management.

Tara Hospital services include medical, ante and post natal midwifery, respite, emergency, long stay and palliative care. Clinics available are outpatient, immunisation, alcohol and drug, community health, child health and women’s health.

It is a 15 bed community hospital.

Opportunities for Students

Students will split their time between Tara Medical Centre and Tara Hospital.

About Tara

Tara represents wheat country true and proper, deep in rural Queensland. The predominantly flat landscape is dotted with silos hat feed the hungry grain trains on a railway spur line that runs through the town. It evokes a rural lifestyle with wheat, beef and wool farms surrounding the shire. This quaint town has a warm, friendly atmosphere and the locals are always willing to stop and have a chat.

Close-by attractions include;

Visitors are welcome at the tennis courts, golf course, bowls club and swimming pool
Tara Lagoon Parklands - a must for a picnic or at sunset
Hit the road along the Sunset Way
Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races - biennial in July

Website

Getting there

Distance from Brisbane: 300km (4h 40m drive time)

Transport Options: Bus, Drive, Train

Accommodation Type: Hospital accommodation (onsite at hospital, 550m to practice)

Transport required for placement: Advantageous - for exploring the region

Tips from previous students

Hospital kitchen prepares one hot meal on week days for students.
Tara is a VERY small town and coming from the city can be quite a shock, but I found that it was easy to become accustomed to the feel here because everyone is so generous with their time.
Spend a day with the community care nurses and with the paramedics.
Join the local sporting team - touch football and squash.

Testimonials

My preceptor was very helpful and encouraged learning. He allowed me to participate in all activities and encouraged me to participate in procedures. It was a wonderful learning experience. The nurses were amazing and helped me learn and were always eager to give me opportunities to do things. All doctors were always willing to discuss cases with me and encouraged my input, treating me as part of the team rather than just as a student. Overall, it was a wonderful placement in terms of learning, with an amazing team.

The mix between GP and hospital experience in a rural setting was very helpful and also seeing the same patients across both. The staff made this experience as great as it was. Everyone was welcoming, supportive and involved me in cases to help my learning.

My preceptor has been an incredible source of support and education, and my interest in rural GP has definitely increased. The staff at Tara hospital and medical centre were all extremely welcoming and friendly, and I think future students will enjoy being placed here as much as I have.

I've had a really enjoyable experience in Tara, and found all of the staff and patients to be quite welcoming. I had opportunities to observe many procedures and different types of consultations, and feel that I have a much clearer understanding of what rural medicine entails, and some of the challenges that come with it.
My preceptor was very welcoming, and always happy to answer my questions and discuss patients, as well as make sure that I was able to complete my assessments.