Third Year in the [Rock]hamptons

Getting there▪ Flights: $180 return, down to

$130 when on sale

▪ Car: $60 for petrol one way

Rockhampton

▪ Population: 62,000

▪ Beef Capital of Australia

▪ Biggest town in Central Queensland

Rockhampton Base Hospital▪ Services all of Central Queensland

▪ 246 beds, employs 200 doctors

▪ Specialist services in ear, nose and throat surgery, gynaecology, orthopaedics, urology, obstetrics, oncology, paediatrics and psychiatry

▪ New 9 level building that will house Integrated Cancer Centre, 20 oncology beds, 32 generic beds ready by end of 2014

▪ Stocklands▪ Next byte, K-mart, Portmans

▪ Bunnings, Amart Allsports

▪ 24 hour gym 5 mins away▪ $400/year

▪ Classes (pump, body attack etc.), 50m pool, squash court

Accommodation

▪ Units on 78 Canning Street▪ 4 people per unit

▪ Fully furnished

▪ 2 car ports under house

▪ $500 per semester

▪ King Single bed

▪ Corkboard, shelves

▪ Bed-side table

▪ Each room has an ensuite

▪ Guest bathroom downstairs

Bedrooms

▪ Can borrow all core textbooks for the rotation

▪ Study rooms

▪ 24 hour access

▪ Marg, the librarian, is thebest

Library

Common Room

▪ Ping pong table!

▪ 4 computers

▪ Printer

▪ Desks and chairs to study

▪ Whiteboard

Can easily live in Rockhampton without a car▪ Mental Health, Surgery and Med rotations are all at the hospital

▪ GP rotation can be done at Allenstown (walking distance)

▪ Rocky Show

(comes with a Public Holiday)

▪ Rockhampton Zoo and Botanic Gardens

▪ Mt Archer

▪ Byfield

▪ Yeppoon

▪ Great Keppel Island

▪ Capricorn Caves

▪ Blackdown Tableland National Park

Rotations in Third Year▪ 5 students per rotation

▪ Mental health▪ Ward, Acute care, Adolescent Service, Geriatric, Outpatient clinic

▪ Surgery▪ Scrub in and assist in every surgery

▪ Medicine▪ You will become a part of the medical team, not just an observer

▪ GP▪ Placement organized for you by RCS

The Bad▪ Being away from Brisbane

▪ Furthest RCS from Brisbane means it isn’t possible to go home every weekend.

▪ Not all specialties are offered at the hospital (more of an issue if you stay for 4th year).

▪ More complex cases are often transferred to Brisbane.