By Dr Kirsty MacFarlane | Posted: Tuesday August 17, 2021
The Society would like to encourage placement of Trainee Interns in gastroenterology electives in peripheral hospitals in New Zealand.
Currently many Trainee Intern students in New Zealand are unable to go overseas for their elective placements. These run all year in the final year of medical training, each elective for 2-3 months.
Research has demonstrated the benefit of trainees gaining experience in peripheral and rural areas, not only for a wide variety of experience, but also to increase the likelihood of locally trained doctors electing to take up positions in peripheral hospitals at a later date.
Students that have worked in the peripheries and are from rural areas are more likely to go back and work in those areas.
Exposure to gastroenterology as a specialty is low for medical students. This will also provide students with an opportunity to experience what a great specialty Gastroenterology is.
Please contact NZSG if you are interested in and are able to provide an elective for a trainee intern in a provincial hospital, and we can help facilitate a placement.