The two RMOs, Yu Henry Gao and Elspeth Jarman, are junior doctors who have completed their internships.

Elspeth Jarman said she chose to come to Lithgow Hospital because she grew up in a rural area.

“Being here allows me to gain broader knowledge rather then doing just a specific rotation,” Miss Jarmon said.

So far Miss Jarmon has helped deliver a baby, worked in palliative care, completed discharge paperwork, taken bloods and had them imaged, and helped with a Caesarean. 

The RMOs have been doing different rotations as they are not qualified to be on a program yet. 

Both RMOs have come from Nepean Hospital and been given the opportunity to experience a rural setting to have the opportunity to conduct different procedures that they would not get at a metropolitan hospital. 

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Mr Gao reiterated just how different Lithgow Hospital is to metropolitan hospitals, as it allows them to focus on all different areas of medicine and not just a speciality. 

“The work load is a good change, if I don’t understand something I have the time to go and brush up on it rather then stressing about doing the wrong thing,” he said. 

With human resources quite limited at the hospital this has allowed the RMOs to participate in a variety of different procedures. 

“The senior doctors have been really helpful, letting us do things we haven’t done before and just saying ‘be brave and do it’,” he said. 

The rare opportunities and rotations have given Mr Gao a new understanding of the capabilities of local GPs. 

“I am just so impressed with their dedication, it shows how much they are capable of and they aren’t just people who hand out scripts for medication.” 

While Mr Gao believes that both rural and city hospitals help you get to the end point of becoming a doctor the different methods are noticeable. 

“Both pathways get you to the same goal, just in different ways, Nepean for example is quite stressful whereas here is more like the student way, where you have time to study up on your notes,” he said. 

Both RMOs have been able to do procedures that are not commonly carried out by interns. 

“I was able to do the PICC line which was a great learning experience,” Miss Jarmon said. 

Taking out the registrars has allowed the RMOs to learn in a more practical environment. 

“I worked with a intubated patient, which is an opportunity which is normally given to a registrar, they normally fight against us doing these kind of procedures” Mr Gao said. 

As the hospital is less staffed it has forced the RMOs to step up when it counts. 

“Doctor Dearin allowed me to do the ward round myself and that forces you to think and it gives a junior perspective with the patient,” Mr Gao said. 

Lithgow Hospital general manager Jill Marjoram said she loved having the RMOs at the hospital and that they were fitting in very well. 

The unique experience which was established at the end of last year will see that the hospital will have two new RMOs every 10 weeks. 

“The theory is that doing this rural placement will make them want to come back when they finish,” she said.