Renee Cocks

Renee Cocks
Doctor of Medicine MD (second year)
Ballarat Rural Clinical School placement

When I started my Rural Clinical School placement in Ballarat, I found everyone at the hospital to be really welcoming. In particular the staff have been very willing to teach us. The small cohort makes it feel like a little community, and there is a good support network among the students.

Transitioning into the hospital this year and speaking with patients has been a highlight of my studies so far. Their journeys and stories make learning far easier and more enjoyable. I feel very fortunate that patients are willing to share their personal medical and life experiences with me.

I’m also really enjoying living with three friends in the Ballarat accommodation. It has fantastic cooking facilities and the weekly cleaner probably saves many an argument! We cook up a storm and share the cooking throughout the week like a little family.

I’ve also enjoyed being out of the hustle and bustle of the city – peak hour only extends your journey by five minutes in Ballarat. Living here is an experience I’ll cherish for a long time.

The Clinical Educator Facilitator program has offered excellent guidance and advice to help improve our technique, as well as making the medical school’s expectations of us as students clear. It’s reassuring that the nurses are overseeing how we perform clinical procedures, to make sure they’re correct and safe.

My tip for other students: Learn from patients, their stories make the learning easy (and if it doesn’t at least you get to enjoy their company).