Life in the outback

I am currently in Tom Price on prac, three weeks between this hospital and Paraburdoo, then a week out on the Mine Site. The point I wanted to raise is one of where as Physios do we fit into the community. My experience up here has highlighted the importance we have in the welbeing of the community. I find that sometimes we get lost in the crowd in the city, just another physio, that could easily be replaced! In rural and remote care, often the physio is the closest thing to medical staff and other allied health staff which can lead them often working outside their scope of practice. Also, the community is smaller and isolated making it easier to see how in your abscence what would happen. You can really see up here that we actually do make a difference to the quality of life of so many. Living in a small community makes it easier to recieve feedback and see patients out in the community participating in activities that in your absence they would have had trouble doing. It blows evidence based practice out of the water and is a very rewarding experience! Your place in the community as some one with medical knowledge is also highlighted by your participation in things like the SES - State emergency services... my supervisor yesterday was called out to a Gorge rescue to help an open tib fib # patient up out of a gorge. Work doesnt stop at the hospital door.