Logistics
Allocation of Small Town/Clinical Placements
Shepparton and Ballarat
RHM students are coordinated for placements through the School of Rural Health, located in
Shepparton and Ballarat (Dunvegan). Due to limited small town placements in the Ballarat area,
the following selection process applies:
Allocation and Pairs Process:
• Prior to the commencement of the rotation students are invited to nominate their choice of
small town placements. Students should remember this is only a nomination and will not
guarantee their preference.
• Students are also asked to nominate a partner for the placement.
• If a student does not have a car, they might wish to pair with a student who can assist with
travel to and from the clinical placement (see travel section).
• All requested preferences should be in by the date specified in the online survey.If there are special reasons to prefer a certain clinical placement students should specify
this in the online survey.
• Students will be advised of placement allocation approximately 2 weeks prior to the
commencement of the rotation.
• Occasionally, group numbers will determine the need for a trio rather than a pair, or a
mixed gender pair.
Appeals Process:
• The Rural Health Module Student Placement Coordinator (Wendy Bartel) will normally
make allocations and students are expected to communicate their needs directly to the
Student Placement Coordinator via email.
• The Student Placement Coordinator may refer concerns to the Rural Health Module
Director or the Academic Coordinator.
• Students have the right to contact the Deputy Head of School (Professor Adam) or Head
of School (Professor DeWitt), School of Rural Health, if they have a concern or grievance
that cannot be resolved by the Rural Health Module Director, Academic or Student
Coordinators.
Travel
Important to all rural people are the concerns of access, travel distances and transport. These will
be important issues for students undertaking this rotation. The staff at the School of Rural Health is
aware of this and will give every support and assistance.
• Students will be reimbursed for their travel (either by private car or public transport)
from Melbourne to Dookie then on to their placement, as well as for the trip from their
placement back to Dookie or Ballarat and from there to Melbourne.
• For public transport, receipts will be necessary for reimbursement.
• For private cars the assumption is that pairs will travel together and therefore
reimbursement will be made on the basis of pairs per trip, not individuals. The
reimbursement rate is 25 cents per kilometre.
• Student claim forms are completed by all students during the RHM Orientation. Kilometre
reimbursement will be calculated at the end of the rotation by the Student Placement
Coordinator. Payment should take approximately six weeks.
• Other travel costs such as weekend return trips to Melbourne, travel to regional
placements and commuting from the regional centre to the small town placement on a
daily or ad hoc basis are not reimbursed.
Accommodation
During the RHM Orientation, all students will be accommodated at the University of Melbourne’s
Dookie campus. Detailed information regarding Dookie campus is posted onto LMS before each
rotation.
The School of Rural Health provides accommodation at every site throughout the RHM. This may
take the form of hospital accommodation, billeting, hotel or motel and cabins at caravan parks.
Student accommodation details for your placements will be confirmed during the Rural Health
Intensive Week.
The School of Rural Health will pay the cost of weekend accommodation during your small town
placement.
The School of Rural Health does not pay for meals or other incidentals such as phone calls etc.
whilst on placement. If unsure, please clarify with Wendy Bartel.
**Students should remember to bring: Doona/blankets, pillow/s, towels and sheets for single
beds, toiletries etc **