Healthcare Professionals
Leading the way for future rural doctors
Rural doctors require a broad scope of practice to serve their communities. Teaching within RCSWA is grounded in rural generalism. Our medical education program is delivered by qualified clinicians living and working in Regional and Remote WA. Learning experiences transcend the silos of specialties, reflecting real-life rural practice. Student placements are entirely based in rural locations with experienced rural generalist doctors and rural or visiting specialists. Learning through real clinical cases forms the core of the program and complimented with supplementary small-group tutorials.
A day in the life of an RCSWA staff member
GP-life is busy as the population is growing so quickly here in Busselton. There’s the opportunity to do all those sub-specialties - obstetrics, anaesthetics, procedural skin medicine, teaching - all of those things are available to GPs here, which gives you such a variety in your working day and week.Dr Russ Hartley
RCSWA Medical Coordinator, Busselton
Meet some of our experts
Mentor, Great Southern
Kirsten Auret
Kirsten is a Medical Coordinator and Research Supervisor in Albany. She was inspired to go down the path of palliative care and general medicine after meeting a talented doctor who provided brilliant palliative care support to her sister-in-law. Kirsten was part of the expert panel involved in WA's Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation and she was the Deputy Head of the RCSWA from 2013-2019. Kirsten enjoys the deeper connections fostered with patients when working and living in rural areas, and following patients across their care at home, to hospital, to hospice.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love that it is a values-based organisation, my colleagues are fabulous, I feel well-supported in my academic work, and that we are a mix of three different universities.
Contact: hubs@rcswa.edu.au
Mentor, Metro
Helen Wright
Helen specialises in paediatric medicine and is based in Perth. Hailing from Scotland, she originally envisioned her career taking the path of a farmer's wife and rural GP. Instead, Helen now calls WA home and finds passion in working as a specialist paediatrician, medical educator and rural health advocate. Helen's introduction to the RCSWA was teaching the Port Hedland cohort in 2002, before relocating to Perth in 2005. Helen loves the variety of clinical work on offer in rural areas, as well as driving and flying to Aboriginal communities with her supportive, skilled rural colleagues. She believes her time spent working in rural WA has advanced her career.
What I love about the RCSWA
My colleagues are inspiring, committed people who do wonderful work in rural WA. It is rewarding to see students progress through their careers, especially those now working as remote paediatricians.
Contact: hubs@rcswa.edu.au
Mentor, Great Southern
Mat Coleman
Mat is a Psychiatry coach and Clinical Academic Chair for Rural and Remote Mental Health Practice. He is based in Albany but is often on the road or in the air travelling to other RCSWA sites for psychiatry teaching sessions. Mat was inspired to work in this field due to the complexity of mental health, combined with the humanity of its practice. He finds the variety in rural medicine incredibly rewarding.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love working with amazing generalist colleagues who are dedicated to quality medical education, training and practice.
Contact: hubs@rscwa.edu.au
Mentor, South west
Sarah Moore
Sarah is a GP obstetrician in Busselton, she splits her time between teaching at RCSWA, a private GP practice, and the local hospital. Sarah was part of the pilot RCSWA program in Kalgoorlie in 2002, and was so grateful for the teaching and mentoring she received there that she wanted to stay on as a medical educator. Sarah takes particular interest in mindfulness for personal and professional wellbeing - so much so, it inspired her to complete a PhD on the topic. Sarah loves the special connection with her community that she has developed while working and living in Busselton, engaging with people during many significant stages of their lives.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love seeing former students return to the region to work and to visit. It is so heartwarming to observe them grow and contribute to our health system, becoming an integral part of the community. I also love my colleagues - we are like a big family.
Contact: hubs@rcswa.edu.au
Senior Lecturer, Kalgoorlie
Christine Jeffries-Stokes
Christine is a paediatrician who has been working in clinical practice and research in the Goldfields for more than 20 years. She has been part of the RCSWA since it was just an idea. She has a PhD and a Masters in Public Health. Along with senior Wongutha woman Annette Stokes, Christine is a Chief Investigator for the Western Desert Kidney Health Project (WDKHP), which has demonstrated new and innovative methods of community engagement. The WDKHP has drawn attention to environmental contaminants as a potentially significant contributor to chronic disease. She has a strong record of collaborative research with the Aboriginal community and has established strong community networks.
Medical Coordinator, Geraldton
Martin Lee
Martin is a Rural Generalist Anaesthetist (RGA) and a Medical Coordinator in Geraldton. His fields of medical interest include emergency medicine, anaesthetics, clinical education and palliative care. Martin enjoys the autonomy and flexibility of rural medicine, as well as the significance that community plays in everyday life. He works hard to ensure medical workplace connections to students are strong, and building students' non-technical skills. Smaller crowds and no traffic jams are added bonuses to rural life in Martin's eyes!
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the dynamic and talented group of like-minded people who are doing great things in rural and remote medicine for their community.
Medical & final year coordinator, broome
Rachel Hall
Rachel is a rural generalist working in the Broome Hospital Emergency Department and teaching RCSWA penultimate year students. She also coordinates the Final Year program in the Kimberley and supports final year students across WA following the Notre Dame curriculum. Rachel welcomes second year medical students to Broome twice a year for a six-week rural immersion called Broome Learning on Country (BLOC). She loves being part of a rural community with its challenging medicine and has made Broome her home complete with cowboy, horses, dogs and 26 mango trees on her block.
What I love about the RCSWA
RCSWA has been a great rural family that has enabled me to live a life in the bush and share my passion for this life and medicine with students.
Obstetrics Lecturer, Albany
Greta Hull
Greta is a registered nurse and midwife at Albany Health Campus. She works in normal pregnancy, labour and birth and enjoys supporting women and their families during this stage of life. Greta worked in the Midwest, Gascoyne, Townsville and Perth before settling in Albany. Prior to joining the RCSWA in 2020, Greta worked with Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service's Boodjarri Yorga program, providing antenatal care to Aboriginal women and their families. Greta enjoys the continuity of care in her speciality field and forming relationships with families.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the team approach, working with a diverse range of professionals, and the enthusiasm and energy that students bring to their clinical placements.
Make a difference to rural health education
New opportunities to make a difference
Become a GP preceptor
From Students to Mentors
Our RCSWA Alumni
It’s amazing how often you meet a doctor at a hospital or at a training workshop who you have that RCSWA connection and bond with.Dr Sarah Moore
RCSWA Lead Medical Coordinator, Busselton
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