Now in its ninth year, Monash Rural Health’s medical students are rehearsing ahead of the annual free Music for the Valley event concert to be held on Saturday, September 5 at the Auditorium, Federation University Churchill.
The concert is a collaboration between the Monash Medical Orchestra (MMO), the Monash Medical Jazz Band (MMJB), and talented students and staff from the Kurnai College Band.
This year the co-chairs of the event are final year medical students, Joshua Choong and Kevin Nimalraj.
They are both members of the MMJB, where Kevin plays the saxophone, and Joshua conducts. Joshua also plays viola in the MMO and conducts Monash’s Med Choir.
“I like music,” Joshua said.
“With medical student placements and rehearsals, a day can span from 5am to 11pm.”
Both very much Melbourne boys, Kevin is currently based in Mildura, which means overnight trips to Melbourne to make rehearsals.
Joshua has recently been based in Warragul, where he is starting to recognise the benefits of rural medical placements.
“You get exposed to the sorts of medical issues that you don’t get to see in the city, and you also get to work closely with highly experienced medical staff, working side by side, which I have really enjoyed,” he said.
According to Associate Professor Marianne Tare, Director of Monash Rural Health Churchill the annual Monash Rural Health concert “celebrates what makes our region so special – community and collaboration,” she said.
“Seeing everyone come together – students, staff and the broader community – reminds us of why we do what we do.”
The Monash medical program has strong connections to the Gippsland region, where hundreds of students are currently studying and completing their clinical placement.
Monash Rural Health Churchill, co-located at Federation University’s Gippsland campus, is also home to the first year of the graduate entry medical program, teaching more than 100 students a year.
