The month of March featured three important events on our calendar which are strongly embraced by RVTS and the wider RVTS family.
National Close the Gap Day – 17 March
All of us at RVTS feel a genuine commitment to Close the Gap.
Many of us live and work in rural, remote and First Nations communities and we know first-hand the many challenges faced by First Nations peoples – our patients, friends and colleagues.
We acknowledge our Cultural Educators – Professor Marlene Drysdale, Glenda Humes and Gaye Doolan – and our Cultural Mentor team as they lead and inspire the empowerment of our staff, registrars and supervisors to positively impact on the health and lives of First Nations peoples.
RVTS actively supports ongoing initiatives to Close The Gap, and through the RVTS GP and Rural Generalist Training Program we all make meaningful contributions toward achieving health equity for First Nations communities.
We join other health organisations in urging the adoption of measures to Close the Gap as quickly as possible, so that current and future generations of our First Nations peoples can benefit.
You can find more information about Closing the Gap by clicking here.
International Women's Day – Tuesday 8 March
International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
RVTS is continually inspired by the achievements and commitment of all the fantastic women involved in the delivery and support of our program.
From our women in leadership positions (including our Chair, Dr Jacki Mein and Director of Training, Dr Ronda Gurney) through to our many wonderful supervisors, mentors and staff members – as well as all the female RVTS registrars and other women who deliver healthcare every day in rural and remote Australia – you are truly inspirational!
To learn more about the 2022 IWD campaign, click here.
Harmony Week – in challenging times
RVTS recently joined in the national celebration of Harmony Week (21-27 March), recognising the highly successful integration of many cultures in Australia.
Just like the broader community, RVTS is a vibrant melting pot of cultures, with people from across the world.
There is incredible strength and opportunity that comes from this diversity – and we are sure you would agree that ours is a community where there is respect for everyone, where everyone belongs, and where everyone makes a meaningful contribution.
The diversity of our family is what makes RVTS such a special organisation, and it is something that we actively seek to highlight through our Journeys newsletter.
At a time when peace in Eastern Europe seems sadly to be a long way off, we hope that tolerance and harmony will once again prevail.
Closer to home, we continue to reflect on the wonderful diversity we have in Australia, and the strength and benefits this has brought us as a nation.
The benefits of multi-culturalism are no more evident than in our own world of rural and remote healthcare – many wonderful International Medical Graduates are now RVTS registrars or RVTS alumni, and serving their Australian communities with enormous dedication.
We thank you most sincerely for your service.