THE Llyn’s newest doctors have injected the area with a sense of enthusiasm.

Patients at Meddygfa Rhydbach, Botwnnog, have been enjoying access to some of the country’s brightest young minds studying medicine.

Currently, there are over 5,000 patients on the books at Rhydbach who are attended to by three doctors – Dr Smits, Dr Morris and Dr Haque – and a raft of nurses and assistants.

However, thanks to a new scheme, patients are now able to see medical students in the final year of their studies in order to introduce the soon-to-be doctors to frontline medicine and to try and resolve the ever-worsening problems surrounding GP recruitment in the region.

Anastasia Cope and Ailsa MacNaught are final year Cardiff University students and are currently five weeks in to their eight-week stint and enjoying the variety of their work.

“What’s different to our previous placements around Wales is that we’re playing a more active role here than we have done before,” they said.

“Being able to see patients by ourselves before being joined by a supervising doctor or nurse has been a great learning experience.

“While feeling like a part of the team our knowledge is being put to the test in a very supportive environment – preparing us for working life as a doctor in 10 months time.”

The rural nature of the role has also played its part.

“We’ve also spent time with different health care professionals who work in the practice and have been on home visits out in the community which has made our placement varied,” the duo continued.

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