Initial entry-fourth rotation

I am both extremely nervous and excited prior to beginning my rural placement at Derby Health Service. Unlike previous placements, my nervousness is not so much related to the practical component of this placement but more so related to the environmental factors, such as living away from home in a shared house in a town I know very little about. However, it is these same reasons that make me very excited for this placement and these are some of the main reasons for me putting Derby as one of my preferences for my rural placement. The other big factor in me preferencing Derby, was the opportunity to a work in a large Aboriginal population and to get firsthand experience of Aboriginal culture and also to get a better understanding of the health issues affecting Aboriginal people. From what I have gathered this placement will have a mix of inpatient, outpatient and community physiotherapy, as well as the possibility of a 4-5 day remote trip to Fitzroy Crossing. I am uncertain of the makeup of my caseload, however I am under the impression that there will be no critically ill patients as I imagine these patients would be transferred to Perth. I expect that I will encounter many subacute chest infections, and orthopaedic patients and some amputees, however beyond that I am really unsure. I really don't know if I will encounter stroke or musculoskeletal patients, however I have been informed that I will be managing some paediatric patients, and this is something I am quite nervous about as I have very little experience managing children. I expect that my role as a student will be to manage an independent case load, and as this my fourth placement I feel confident handling this, however unlike previous placements, my caseload at Derby will not all fit one physiotherapy sub-discipline but will be a large mix. I believe my other expectation as a student will be to fully immerse myself in the rural experience and get involved in as many extracurricular activities, and this is something I am very keen to do. I understand that I may never get an opportunity like this again and I fully intend to make the most of it.