Heather Sherriffs & Dan Martin - ScotGEM & Rural Training on the Orkney Islands

Heather Sherriffs & Dan Martin are medical students on the ScotGEM training pathway.  They share their experience of graduate entry medical training in Scotland, their placement on the Orkney Islands and how this is shaping their thoughts about their future careers.

 

Episode summary:

01.15 Heather and Dan tell us a bit about their professional backgrounds and how they got interested in rural health

03.30  What have they found most rewarding about working in a rural setting?  What has been most challenging?

06.45 What is ScotGEM?

09.30  What opportunities does ScotGEM give students?

12.30  How are hospital placements organized?

14.10  How is the course preparing them for working in a rural or remote setting?

16.30  What is Orkney like, the population, geography and care needs?

20.45  What has there experience been with weather and distance?

24.45  Who is part of the wider healthcare team on Orkney?

27.25  What does a standard GP day and week look like on Orkney?

30.30 What has surprised them about Orkney and primary care?

33.50  What are the two or three key learning point that they have gained from their placement in Orkney?

35.32  How has the experience changed their plans for their future career?

40.30  What is their advice to other postgrads who might be considering going into rural medicine?

 

Key messages:

Both Heather and Dan had completed different degrees before going into medicine, law and teaching.

ScotGEM is a course to prepare students to become a general practitioner in rural and remote environments.  It is a graduate entry degree. It is different to traditional courses as your lectures and placements are integrated, you see patients from day one and you have case based learning.

The applied nature of the course really supports learning.

They also have a longitudinal integrated clerkship in general practice which lasts 10 months.

They have had a lot more one to one time with tutors and doctors at the hospital and in general practice, there is more exposure to clinical skills early on.  

There is more space to explore and try different things during your course. 

While on Orkney they spend one day a week at the local hospital during their GP longitudinal placement.  

Heather would be nervous to work in a rural or remote setting if she had never had a placement in that setting before.  It is hard to imagine what the job entails if you have not seen it before.  This course prepares you really well to work in a rural or remote setting.

Dan says it is a certain skill set to be able to go out and stay in a rural or remote settings.

Orkney is a set of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. There is a population of about 20000 people.  There is an aging population with people needing quite a lot of social care.  During COVID people returned to Orkney.  

The A&E on Orkney is GP lead and when the weather disrupts travel it can be challenging to manage more difficult emergencies.  

There are four permanent GP surgeries on Orkney and a small hospital in Kirkwall.  The hospital has medicine, surgery, emergency and maternity. 

GPs to normal general practice but also have their specialist interests such as dermatology, mental health, palliative care or women's health.  

One of the GP surgeries specialize in diving medicine and have a hyperbaric chamber.  

There is a higher level of responsibility as a junior doctor, you might be the only doctor overnight running the medical and surgical department.  The doctors say that they feel well supported.

Just take every opportunity that you can get. If you are interested in something, turn up and ask questions.  

There is a lot that you can do to develop your clinical skills. It has helped them build their resilience.  

Dan is now considering a career in general practice and public health in a rural and remote context, he has become more interested in this following his placement in Orkney.  

Heather has always been interested in working somewhere remote or rural but the past year has solidified that interest and given her confidence to take a job in a rural or remote context.

Applying to medicine later in life and having some life experience can be a bit of a super power going into medical training. Interpersonal skills and empathy are building blocks that you can use.

 

Contact Heather: [email protected]

Contact Dan: [email protected]

 

Thank you for listening to the Rural Road to Health!

Rural Health Compass