From golden beaches to the heartland: reflections of NSW rural trainees.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the training experiences of rural-based psychiatry trainees in New South Wales.

METHOD

Semistructured interviews were conducted with psychiatry trainees, rural psychiatrists and rural mental health administrators. The interviews were, for the most part, conducted face to face.

RESULTS

Three factors that make this programme work are the opportunity to start training in a rural centre, a local psychiatrist who can act as guide and mentor and the initiative of this group of registrars. Three obstacles are a perceived lack of flexibility in College guidelines, isolation from peers and insufficient support when relocating to the city for specialty terms.

CONCLUSIONS

The NSW rural psychiatry training project is an exciting development. Three years on, it represents the best avenue for creating a locally based rural psychiatrist network. It stands as a model for the rest of the country.