Welcome to Dr Abhishek Mitra

The Department of Rural Health is pleased to welcome Dr Abhishek Mitra as the new Co-Deputy Director of Medical Student Education at our Ballarat Rural Clinical School.

Dr Mitra has worked across various roles in the health service during his 20-year career in medicine, most recently overseeing specialist trainees as the Director of Emergency Medical Training at Dubbo Hospital. While he enjoyed working with doctors, Dr Mitra is looking forward to moving towards a more student-focussed role.

“While working in Dubbo, I really enjoyed watching the doctors build upon their knowledge and analytical skills. However, I think this role is more of a step forward as we are teaching students the fundamentals and are building the foundations for them to practice medicine”, he said.

In addition to his academic role, Dr Mitra serves as an Emergency Medicine Consultant at Ballarat Hospital, having previously worked and trained in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Alice Springs and Bunbury. Working across various settings has made him aware of the unique opportunities for learning and development that are afforded to students who pursue rural health pathways.

“There’s a misconception among students that their experiences will be inferior in regional areas when compared to the cities but it’s actually the other way around. There’s a greater diversity of presentations that you have to treat or manage – at times with fewer resources. Working rurally therefore enables you to develop a broad range of valuable clinical skills”, he said.

Dr Mitra is pleased to be joining the Department of Rural Health, his first role with the University, and is committed to continuing the excellent work of the Ballarat Rural Clinical School.  

“The Rural Clinical School staff do an excellent job in ensuring the students receive the high standard of education they expect from the University of Melbourne. I look forward to continuing our focus on student wellbeing and helping to deliver a personalised experience that meets our students’ learning needs”, he said.