Twelve medical and health professionals in the Wheatbelt have recently received scholarships and bursaries from Rural Health West to help them attend further education and professional development.
More than $85,000 will be provided to the medical and health professionals in the region to undertake further studies and attend upskilling and education to extend their scope of practice.
The recipients are from Narrogin, Newdegate, Northam, Quairading and Merredin.
Rural Health West General Manager Workforce Kelli Porter said the investment, which was made through the Australian Government Department of Health’s Health Workforce Scholarship Program, will expand the range of health services available for people living in Wheatbelt communities.
“The applications we received cover education and training in a variety of areas which will fill service gaps in the region or make it easier for people to access these services in the community,” Ms Porter said.
Scholarships and bursaries have been provided to support further studies in:
- Advanced skin cancer surgery and dermatology to respond to the growing prevalence of skin cancer within farming communities
- Diabetes education to provide additional services for people living with diabetes
- Emergency ultrasound
- Non-surgical management of ACL tears
Dr Joseph Ogunleye from Quairading Medical Practice has received a scholarship to undertake a Professional Diploma in Skin Cancer Surgery.
“We are in the heart of farming country in Quairading, so many people living in the community have years of sun damage, which makes them more susceptible to developing skin cancers,” Dr Ogunleye said.
“This additional training will assist in the early detection of skin cancers and mean more patients from the Wheatbelt can access care locally.”
More than $670,000 in scholarships and bursaries has been allocated to around 100 medical and health professionals working in regional and rural health positions throughout Western Australia.
A further $350,000 will be allocated in coming months, with a second funding round opening on 30 April 2018.
Interested rural medical and health professionals can find out more about the Health Workforce Scholarship Program at www.ruralhealthwest.com.au/hwsp.
