Branko Sijnja
I was born in post war Holland and immigrated to New Zealand with my parents as a child in 1951. Educated in New Zealand, I graduated in 1973 from Otago University Medical School. After spending my preregistration year in Palmerston North I moved to Balclutha and started work in the hospital at the end of 1974. With the exception of two years, 1977 and 1978 when I worked in Scotland, I have spent all my time in Balclutha.

I have been in General Practice in Balclutha for the last thirty three years and been involved in the hospital there as well for most of that time. This year I reduced my commitment to 2/10ths locum GP in Balclutha and have taken up a 8/10ths role as Director of the Rural Medical Immersion Programme of the Otago University Medical School on the untimely death of the late, Dr Pat Farry.

I have been heavily involved with the changes to health services in Balclutha and still play a part in the Governance of the health service there through being a Director of Clutha Community Health Company Limited. I have just started my third term on the Otago District Health Board, now Southern DHB.

 

 

Rural Immersion Medical Programme 
Concurrent Workshop
Saturday, 14 June 2014 Start 4:30pm Duration: 60mins Room 6

The Rural Medical Immersion Programme (RMIP) was established in 2007 as an alternate curriculum for a select number of fifth year medical students whose training takes place for the whole academic year, in an apprentice like role, in a rural setting. General Practice, rural hospitals and provincial hospitals offer good opportunities for delivering generalist teaching in all disciplines of health providers. Such teaching takes place in small group tutorials or 1 on 1 at the bedside and during the progress of clinics. Students of the RMIP learn from general practitioners and hospital medical staff on the job, learning from the teacher as a role model and facilitator.