A fresh group of four emerging medical professionals begin their 12-month placement at Narrogin Health Service

Four emerging medical professionals began their year-long placement at Narrogin Health Service on Monday with two students returning to their Narrogin home. Hospital staff welcomed Jennifer Yeoman, Ahmed Ibrahim, Sarah Jakobson and Stefano ‘David’ Konig when they arrived in Narrogin on Saturday from their Perth-based universities. The Rural Clinical School of WA 2025 comprises 111 penultimate-year students and 22 final-year students from the University of Western Australia, University of Notre Dame Australia and Curtin University. Mr Ibrahim and Mr Konig have lived and worked in Narrogin for several years and both undertook medical studies as mature-age students at Notre Dame. Narrogin pharmacist Mr Ibrahim, is excited to return home to his family and plans to practise in the Narrogin Health Service after he graduates. “It’s good to study medicine among the community I live in, knowing the patients and working alongside the doctors I used to work with but now I will learn more from them directly,” he said. “This is one of the closest to where I want to be since I started studying medicine. “I would love to spread my love and connection of the community to my student colleges as I gained a lot from working here as a pharmacist and I’ll gain a lot from studying here.” UWA student Ms Yeoman said she is very grateful for the opportunity to study in a rural area and hopes to gain confidence in her skills. “It’s a once in a lifetime chance to be a student in this environment,” she said. “I’m excited to gain confidence and ability to talk to patients and perform exams and procedures. “Narrogin is known amongst the RCS students as the best place to learn because we get a lot of autonomy.” Narrogin lead medical co-ordinator Dr Andrew Knight said studying medicine is “a profound learning curve” and he is excited to watch them grow. “I’m looking forward to getting to know them more, teaching them and learning from them,” Dr Knight said. “Watching them grow as trainee doctors, professionally, clinically with their skills and personally as people.” Dr Knight said he was excited to be training students who have Narrogin roots and believes it will help the group make a deeper connection to the town. “They’re totally invested in Narrogin and working and living here; it’s such an exciting time for them and for us to have that with students with such a ready-made connection,” he said.