Dodgy locums, ‘extortionate’ flights and the battle against loneliness: The lives of surgeons in the bush
On the upside rural surgeons feel as though they're making a difference and relish the variety: Aussie study.
What is life like for a general surgeon who moves to a rural area, often far away from colleagues and the opportunity for a hallway or theatre chat?
A new paper offers insights into their experiences, including working with dodgy IT, unreliable locums and visiting hot shot city surgeons who take the “cream” of the work.
Monash University researchers interviewed almost two dozen rural general surgeons to explore why only 20% of those who trained as such chose to work in the country.
Overall, junior doctor and lead author Dr Jessica Paynter, of Monash Rural Health, found an “overworked, exhausted and transient surgical workforce”, who were working in a culture of survival rather than thriving.
