Medical Students

General practice in both rural and metropolitan settings deal with totality of the human life and health experience. As a primary health service, GPs provide cradle to grave care for all patients. The difference between rural and metro general practice is the impact of the rural setting. Rural GPs are geographically more remote from secondary and tertiary health care services. They may literally be the only available health service to their community. Rural GPs will deal with a greater complexity of problems and draw on a wider set of skills. They deliver babies, care for dying patients and may be the voice of public health messages for their community. They may do all these things in a single working day. Rural GP is general practice on steroids.

Penultimate student accommodation is provided by RCSWA and is home for students during their RCSWA year. At times, Rural GP Placement (RGPP) students may stay in this accommodation while they are in the region on placement. All RCSWA houses are fully equipped and furnished, and have internet available.  

No pets are permitted in the RCSWA housing at any time. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The RCSWA covers some travel costs during your RCSWA year. This includes your trip to site from Perth at the start of the year, your trip back to Perth from site at the end of the year, and one return trip between Perth and your site for the mid-year break. 

Students who are undergoing financial hardship may be able to apply for a Hardship Bursary.

RCSWA welcomes students with partners and families. Students are offered placements based on their merit -  their partner or family status are not considered during the application assessment process.

Students with a partner or family joining them must find their own accommodation.

Students can apply for a bursary payment of:

• $6,000 at beginning of year + $1,000 at end of year for students placed from Geraldton south
• $7,000 at beginning of year + $1,000 at end of year for students placed from Carnarvon north.

If your partner is another medical student and you are both offered the same site, you will have the choice of accepting the living arrangements we make for you or accepting the bursary to provide your own accommodation. Students with partners will not be housed together.

We advise you to investigate the availability and costs of accommodation at your preferred sites before submitting your preferences.

After spending a penultimate year at RCSWA, you can apply to complete your final year with us. Information about the Final Year program can be found in the section below.

Once you have graduated from your medical degree, other rural opportunities exist with WA Country Health Service (WACHS). WACHS offers graduates 12 month Intern Placements and 6-12 month Resident Medical Officers (RMO’s) Placements. For information about these two positions within WACHS please refer to their flyer.

To be eligible for the program, you must first successfully completed your penultimate year with RCSWA. Your demonstrated ability to work independently, demonstrate rural intent, engagement with rural communities and capacity to self-fund are among the factors considered for entry into the program. Reference checks are also sought from your Medical Coordinator, clinical supervisor and the site administrative officer. It is highly competitive and places are limited.

Yes. This is a self-funded program. You must cover your living expenses for the duration of the academic year and sign a statutory declaration stating you can do this. RCSWA does cover travel and relocation expenses to and from your rural site. Your travel expenses within the region for educational purposes are also covered.

Accommodation in rural areas is in very short supply. RCSWA has secured housing at most Final Year rural sites which you are able to access. There is a rental cost associated with this option. Alternatively, you can make your own private accommodation arrangements. Be advised you need to sort this out as soon as you have been accepted into the program. Sites can provide some assistance in letting you know what is available for rent in the area.

This is a longitudinal one-year placement where you work closely with a clinical team to refine your skills and prepare you for internship. You will have the opportunity to learn in variety of contexts in the region – remote clinics, RFDS and many more, with the support and mentorship of your Medical Coordinator, the whole RCSWA team and the community you work with.

Options to pursue a rural career pathway will expand to reflect the increasing availability of rural internships. In the first three years of the RCSWA rural Final Year program, 65% of the students involved signed up for rural internships.

Students from The University of Western Australia and the University of Notre Dame are eligible to join the Final Year program in 2023. There is no quota on numbers from each university. You will be selected on merit and availability of places.

There is an online information evening held around June each year to showcase the major features of the program. Current Final Year students will be there to give you a ‘real’ perspective. You are required to complete all the curriculum and assessment requirements of your home university – you will just be in a rural area to do them with the exception of end of year exams.

After the information evening in June, students are given a week to complete their online application. Interviews take place towards the end of July and places are offered in early September. We appreciate this is a big commitment and we will try to let you know as soon as possible if your application has been successful.

Associate Professor Michele Gawlinski is the RCSWA Final Year Program Coordinator located at SCGH (Level 2, M Block). Michele can give you details or put you in touch with the lead Medical Coordinators at each Final Year rural site, email [email protected]