Dr Pip Kensit commenced her rural internship this week along with a new cohort of junior doctors across Australia, hundreds of which will head to rural towns for their clinical placement.

“I am a born and bred country girl from a sheep and cattle property and have an inherent love of and desire to give back to rural Australia as a rural doctor,” said Dr Kensit.

Having studied medicine at Notre Dame University in Sydney and spending clinical years in Hawkesbury and Lithgow Pip is looking forward to the next chapter.

“I am excited to be back in rural communities in which I identify most with and to learn the ropes as a junior doctor in a regional centre,” Dr Kensit said.

Pip Kensit during her training years - Image supplied

“I am over the moon to be working rurally for several reasons, namely the people and place but also professionally as I love the diversity, autonomy and innately unique biopsychosocial components rurality adds to medicine alone.

"Prior to medicine, I was a rural/remote Registered Nurse working primarily in the resource poor remote communities of Wilcannia, Ivanhoe and Broken Hill and thus in addition to my rural background fell in love with bush medicine early.

Taking advantage of rural life - Dr Pip Kensit - Image supplied

“These experiences not only taught me the raw reality of rural and remote practice, but to also love the uniquity of rural health and medicine, inspiring me to consider a medical vocation."

Dr Kensit joined the team at the Future Workforce NSW Rural Doctors Network in 2019 to guide her on her medical journey and then went onto Notre Dame University to finish her training.

While her longer goals remain broad, she hopes to become involved in rural and remote emergency medicine and paediatrics.

Dr RT Lewandowski, President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) - Image Rural Doctors Association of Australia

“A good experience in rural can make or break a rural medical career,” Dr RT Lewandowski, President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), said.

“These placements can be for as little as five weeks up to the full year, and for many it will be their first experience of living outside of a major city.

“Rural medicine provides varied, interesting and rewarding careers, whether that be in a general practice or at a rural hospital.

“Rural General Practice (GP) and Rural Generalist (RG) practice are one of the few speciality areas that provide true breadth and the ability to adapt your professional interests over the course of your working life.

“Both provide the opportunity to care for patients from ‘cradle to grave’, as well as being able to focus on areas of special interest along the way," Dr Lewandowski said.

“GPs and RGs training in a rural area get a huge amount of hands-on experience as they form an integral part of the rural health team from the day they arrive."

“Over the next few weeks across the country rural and remote communities will welcome new interns, and junior doctors who are yet to finalise their future training pathway, with the GP and Registrar cohort who have chosen a rural training program commencing soon after.

“There is an increasing interest in rural medicine not just with the two GP colleges RACGP and ACRRM, but also across other medical specialties, such as psychiatry and paediatrics, which is very exciting.

“We hope that all of the junior doctors heading bush really embrace the experience, get to know their patients, their communities, and the joys and opportunities available in rural medicine," Dr Lewandowski said.