Rural High School Visits
Each semester, RAHMS takes a bunch of over-enthusiastic members to over-enthusiastic high school students around the country. From the Hunter Valley to Jervis Bay and from Dubbo to Dunedoo – we’ve been there! Why? Well, generally it’s a good excuse for an all-expenses paid rural adventure. More seriously though, the visits have one aim: promote rural health to anyone and everyone (with extra points being awarded for randoms in the street)!
At a closer look, the program provides students with the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about how to become and what it is like working as a health professional and the contribution they could make to their own community’s future health needs. As well as that, it’s a chance for fun workshops (including plaster casting, anatomy, sport and career workshops). Needless to say, they are A LOT of fun!
So why are you still reading this?! If you think what it takes to be awesome, sign up to RAHMS today and keep an eye out for the RAHMS Weekly Update. Check out below to see what the last group said about their visit!
Hunter Valley Trip
The Rural High School Visit in the Hunter Valley was simply AWESOME – definitely the highlight of my winter break!
We started the trip with a detour to Port Stephens where the five of us did some intense surfing on the sand dunes. Armed with our flimsy cardboard boxes, we pretty much tumbled down the 100m slope – with much sand gathering in the undergarments! Being my first year in the country, making the maiden voyage down a cliff of sand was not something I ever expected to do. With the soft sand crumbling under my feet, I was very close to doing the human version of the “ostrich’s head in the sand” trick! It was definitely a great way to start the trip.
The weekend was pretty much ours. We stayed in a quiet country cottage and spent the entire 2 days taking in the sights, tasting wine and eating plenty of fudge and cheese. That night we cooked up some chicken on the fire and settled down to a cuppa and what turned into an epic night of Trivia Pursuit. We also alternated watching Bruno torment the Prime Minister on TV and toasting marshmallows on the fire while gazing at the blanket of stars – millions of times more than what you can see in Sydney!
Over the next three days, we visited six rural high schools to encourage the students to undertake a medical or allied health degree. During our presentations, we shared our personal experiences about university life with the students. The students were really enthusiastic, particularly at the opportunity to successfully cover each other in plaster! One student left with more than his arm covered, and in another session, a teacher managed to find the excuse she needed to get out of cooking dinner for that night! I believe the most rewarding aspect of it was being able to answer students’ questions regarding scholarships, entry schemes and uni courses… and to see their eyes light up at the possibilites. It was indeed a pleasure to interact with the students, listening to their ambitions and giving them advice on their university applications. If ever there was a chance to go on another Rural High School Visit, I certainly wouldn’t give it a miss! =)
- Qin Lee (Med I)
Photos from the trip:
