Rosie
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THE LAND | Thursday, August 27, 2015 57 ● ● ● ● Photo: Rachael Webb IT WAS a hot summer’s day near Louth, during the worst dust storm of the season, when Rosie Nielsen opened an email saying she’d been accepted to study medicine at the University of New England in 2010. Rosie, with her brother Wally, sister Adelaide, grew up on “Ballycastle”, the red dirt sheep property their parents, Richard and Deborah operate, 115 kilometres west of Bourke. Like most kids, the Nielsens spent their weekdays at school, but what differed for them was they talked to their teachers using a two-way and their recess time was usually spent helping to move sheep. Rosie and her siblings completed their lessons through distance education until the age of 13, but this failed to hinder her love for learning. “Collecting our school work from the mailbox was my favorite day of the week – I was always obsessed with school work,” she said. It wasn’t until year 8 that Rosie entered the “normal” school system and became a full time boarder at Frensham girls’ school at Mittagong. She left school with a Higher School Certificate mark that could get her into most courses but the desire to go back to her roots influenced her to sign up for a year of jillarooing in the Northern Territory. It was whilst living there she became aware of the issues rural communities faced like a lack of health care workers, which urged her to make a difference with her own career. After completing a full year of law at the University of Technology Sydney, Rosie realised the legal system wasn’t for her and decided to sit the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test just to see what happened. Fast forward six years and she’s been offered and accepted a job as a junior medical officer in Dubbo and is set to start her career in rural health next year, hopefully one day as a general practitioner (GP). For Rosie, the packed emergency rooms and lack of one-on-one training offered by the city hospitals were never enticing, which was why she built her career foundations within the bush. During her degree she had to carry out several stints of practical work, which she chose to do in the Northern Territory, Dubbo, Narrabri, Bourke and most recently, Tamworth. Rosie said undertaking her training in the country exposed her to a unique experience, presenting more opportunities to get to know her advisors on both a personal and professional level. With few other aspiring doctors choosing to do their final placement in Tamworth, Rosie was able develop more practical skills than what she could imagine throughout the year. She also felt as though the people she worked with knew who she was and why she wanted to do medicine, unlike her metropolitan counterparts who could get lost in the crowd of bigger hospitals. “I’ve been inspired by so many people here who are truly passionate about rural and remote medicine,” she said. “The staff in Tamworth are genuinely interested in helping me better myself as a doctor and a person to ensure there’s a future in rural medicine.” The fact rural and remote communities were struggling to attract doctors concerned Rosie, who said a shortage of health workers in these areas could result in an increase of health problems. “In my opinion, health care at its finest is about continuity of care,” she said. “A major thing rural towns lack is doctors committed to living in an area for a long time and things can get missed if doctors don’t know their patients well.” The rapid turn over of doctors in rural towns was something Rosie said could also have an impact on rural indigenous residents, as doctors weren’t around long enough to build a rapport with them. “I think the way around this is to get more people from the bush studying medicine as they wouldn’t get a shock when moving to country towns thus, would be more likely to stay,” she said. “The fact the federal government is cutting scholarships that support this like the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS), which has helped me immensely, is a little scary.” Growing up surrounded by people who worked hard, such as her mother, father and grandparents, has shaped Rosie’s work ethic, as well as her admiration for the rural lifestyle. Rosie said people studying medicine shouldn’t disregard rural areas when considering placement, or even work, as the lifestyle was second to none. “I think the future of rural and regional towns are underestimated,” she said. “To future medical students, I would truly recommend taking any opportunity to study in these regional centres.” As for the future, Rosie said she had no interest in just working in the country for a while, then going to the city like a lot of people in medicine do. “There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but I’m truly excited to be another generation of my family to build a life and a career in rural Australia,” she said. BY AMELIA WILLIAMS Rural health advocate Amelia Williams Rosie Nielsen, "Ballycastle", Bourke, who has been working in Tamworth and helping with health checks durring Commonwealth Bank AgQuip last week, has accepted a job as a junior medical officer in Dubbo and is set to start her career in rural health next year.
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Transcript of Rosie
THE LAND | Thursday, August 27, 2015 57● ● ● ●
Phot
o: R
acha
el W
ebb
IT WAS a hot summer’s day near Louth,during the worst dust storm of the season,when Rosie Nielsen opened an email sayingshe’d been accepted to study medicine at theUniversity of New England in 2010.
Rosie, with her brother Wally, sister Adelaide,grew up on “Ballycastle”, the red dirt sheepproperty their parents, Richard and Deborahoperate, 115 kilometres west of Bourke.
Like most kids, the Nielsens spent theirweekdays at school, but what differed forthem was they talked to their teachers using atwo-way and their recess time was usuallyspent helping to move sheep.
Rosie and her siblings completed theirlessons through distance education until theage of 13, but this failed to hinder her love forlearning.
“Collecting our school work from the mailboxwas my favorite day of the week – I was alwaysobsessed with school work,” she said.
It wasn’t until year 8 that Rosie entered the“normal” school system and became a fulltime boarder at Frensham girls’ school atMittagong.
She left school with a Higher SchoolCertificate mark that could get her into mostcourses but the desire to go back to her
roots influenced her to sign up for a year ofjillarooing in the Northern Territory.
It was whilst living there she became awareof the issues rural communities faced like alack of health care workers, which urged herto make a difference with her own career.
After completing a full year of law at theUniversity of Technology Sydney, Rosierealised the legal system wasn’t for her anddecided to sit the Undergraduate Medicineand Health Sciences Admission Test just tosee what happened.
Fast forward six years and she’s beenoffered and accepted a job as a junior medicalofficer in Dubbo and is set to start her careerin rural health next year, hopefully one day asa general practitioner (GP).
For Rosie, the packed emergency rooms andlack of one-on-one training offered by the cityhospitals were never enticing, which was whyshe built her career foundations within the bush.
During her degree she had to carry outseveral stints of practical work, which shechose to do in the Northern Territory,Dubbo, Narrabri, Bourke and most recently,Tamworth.
Rosie said undertaking her training in thecountry exposed her to a unique experience,presenting more opportunities to get to knowher advisors on both a personal andprofessional level.
With few other aspiring doctors choosing todo their final placement in Tamworth, Rosiewas able develop more practical skills thanwhat she could imagine throughout the year.
She also felt as though the people sheworked with knew who she was and why shewanted to do medicine, unlike hermetropolitan counterparts who could get lostin the crowd of bigger hospitals.
“I’ve been inspired by so many people herewho are truly passionate about rural andremote medicine,” she said.
“The staff in Tamworth are genuinelyinterested in helping me better myself as adoctor and a person to ensure there’s afuture in rural medicine.”
The fact rural and remote communitieswere struggling to attract doctors concernedRosie, who said a shortage of health workersin these areas could result in an increase ofhealth problems.
“In my opinion, health care at its finest isabout continuity of care,” she said.
“A major thing rural towns lack is doctorscommitted to living in an area for a long timeand things can get missed if doctors don’tknow their patients well.”
The rapid turn over of doctors in ruraltowns was something Rosie said could also have an impact on rural indigenousresidents, as doctors weren’t around long
enough to build a rapport with them. “I think the way around this is to get more
people from the bush studying medicine asthey wouldn’t get a shock when moving tocountry towns thus, would be more likely tostay,” she said.
“The fact the federal government is cuttingscholarships that support this like the MedicalRural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS), which hashelped me immensely, is a little scary.”
Growing up surrounded by people whoworked hard, such as her mother, father andgrandparents, has shaped Rosie’s work ethic,as well as her admiration for the rural lifestyle.
Rosie said people studying medicineshouldn’t disregard rural areas whenconsidering placement, or even work, as thelifestyle was second to none.
“I think the future of rural and regionaltowns are underestimated,” she said.
“To future medical students, I would trulyrecommend taking any opportunity to studyin these regional centres.”
As for the future, Rosie said she had nointerest in just working in the country for awhile, then going to the city like a lot ofpeople in medicine do.
“There’s nothing wrong with doing that, butI’m truly excited to be another generation ofmy family to build a life and a career in ruralAustralia,” she said.
BY AMELIAWILLIAMS
Rural health advocateAmelia Williams
Rosie Nielsen, "Ballycastle", Bourke, who has beenworking in Tamworth and helping with health checksdurring Commonwealth Bank AgQuip last week, hasaccepted a job as a junior medical officer in Dubboand is set to start her career in rural health next year.
