-: FURHS :-

If you are already a current member for 2008, please click here to edit your details online.

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Check out the FURHS gallery

Anyone interested in doing an ambulance attachment in the Riverland?

For details click here

National Rural Health Conference Indigenous Health Workshop Recommendations

cliick here to download

Want to go to a conference?

Apply for Funding to Attend Conferences through the National Rural Health Network (NRHN)

The NRHN provides financial support to students who wish to attend a variety of conferences that are of national significance (CoNS). Click here for a list of upcoming conferences.

If you would like more details on receiving financial support through the NRHN, please don't hesitate to contact Kate Burg on burg0126@flinders.edu.au

A word from our Co-Chairs:

I write this to you from a small town called Flaxton in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It is a short drive from the beach and after packing for a holiday filled with sun and surf, we are now experiencing the seventh day in a row of constant rain. As I curse the grey skies my mind is taken back to the four years I spent working as a speech pathologist in country Victoria. This town taught me a lot including an appreciation of rain because without it, so many industries, on which rural/remote towns depend, just turn to dust (literally). It is all about perspective and priorities and it is an understanding of these that is paramount for working and living in a rural or remote area. Health is about life and life is about where you live, work, love, play and get your hair cut (however, an unlucky mate would advise not using the old barber who uses blunt kitchen scissors in your local country town, Because, despite him being cheap, even some hairstyles aren’t acceptable in the bush). Rural and remote communities have closeness in the face of isolation and this means a sense of humour, fun and productivity and this magazine and the club it represents hopes to introduce you to some of these experiences and the wise, weathered, intriguing, laid back and welcoming faces that go with them.

So what is FURHS? You may be thinking- “Just another acronym to learn” but we encourage you to forgive us and read on. Be not afraid, FURHS is not a cult, it is not a commune but it is a collection. A collection of interested people who all share a common passion and that is rural/remote health. This passion can take many forms- a desire to work in the bush, a lifelong knowledge of rural and remote life and practice, a want to understand the unique challenges faced by rural and remote health professionals or just a curiosity for varied and new experiences. Whatever the reason, FURHS can and will deliver.

The new committee whole heartedly grabbed the reigns late last year and we are all too aware of the big boots we have to fill. The 2007 mob served their subjects well and we hope to do the same for you. A dairy farming friend sent me some thick gumboot socks for Christmas because he got sick of me wearing ones with holes in them (hang on, they were my faves) so I am at least on the right track. The activities of 2007 included a wilderness first aid night that involved more fake blood than a b-grade horror film, opportunities to ride along with the flying doctors service and trips to unique towns scattered throughout South Australia and beyond; to yarn with health professionals and experience town life. We invite you to be a part of a multi disciplinary team that travels to Crocfest; the rock eisteddfod of the bush; to run a health promotion tent or sit awhile at Campfire; a student run conference open to health students from South Australian Universities. If that isn’t enough, FURHS offers free BBQs, lunchtime speakers, networking options, grants, conference opportunities, an annual dinner and more.

Whether you’re a local, hail from interstate or wandered in from overseas we can all agree that the Australian countryside offers a vast and diverse landscape. Whether it be the warm winds of the tropics, the red dust of the dessert or the lush life of the rainforest FURHS offers a space in which to experience this terrain. What these encounters aim show us is that these places may be small but the experiences they offer are big and truly incredible. That is why we encourage you to think about joining FURHS as an official member. It is these moments and exposures that have planted, watered, fertilized and cultivated the seeds of excitement and commitment in us FURHSians and we hope that there is room in your garden as well. So jump in the back of the troopy and join us on the bumpy track that is rural and remote health.

Good luck for 2008. We wish you all the best and look forward to meeting you all along the way.