Busselton

Sprawled along Geographe Bay lies the City of Busselton, a haven for adventures great and small. Life in Busselton means beaches, forests, caves, wineries, mountain bike riding, fishing and much more. Nearby towns of Yallingup, Dunsborough, Margaret River, Vasse and Eagle Bay give visitors further opportunity to sample the offerings of the South West, rich with culture and community.

The Busselton RCSWA office was established in 2009 with seven penultimate students. It is located on Gale Street, close to the town centre and five minutes from the Busselton Jetty.

Accommodation

Busselton RCSWA has three four-bedroom, two-bathroom fully furnished houses for students. They are located within a short drive of the RCSWA office. Wireless internet access is provided to all houses.
Transport

Students are required to bring their own car to Busselton for their RCSWA year as trips to Margaret River, Dunsborough and Bunbury are common for various clinical rotations. Bicycles are also encouraged for recreational use as Busselton has several well-established cycle paths and routes across the district.
Health Services

Duchess Medical Centre, Surgery 82, Busselton Medical Practice, Broadwater Medical Centre, Dunsborough Medical Centre, Margaret River Medical Centre and Margaret River Surgery are the local practices utilised for General Practice rotations.

The local hospital is Busselton Health Campus. Services here include aged care, child development, maternity, allied health outpatient services, geriatric services, immunisation clinic, mental health, palliative care and hospice, rehabilitation, surgery, emergency department and telehealth. Specialists that visit Busselton Health Campus include cardiologist, gastroenterologist, ocularist, anaesthetist, orthotics, respiratory testing, gynaecology, stress testing and sleep clinic.

For Aboriginal Health clinical work, students can attend South West Aboriginal Medical Services (SWAMS) in Busselton and Bunbury.

Capital Radiology and Apex Radiology are the local diagnostic facilities.
Extra Activities

There is always something happening in Busselton! Be it community sport, a market, club day events or competitions, there is something to suit everyone’s taste. The Busselton Community Directory is a great place to start if you are interested in joining a sporting or other interest club, scouting out local services and adding events to your calendar.

Staff Profiles

LEad Medical Coordinator, Busselton
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 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.

MEDICAL COORDINATOR, BUSSELTON
Russell Hartley

Russ works as a GP in Busselton and teaches the GP and Internal Medicine curriculums to RCSWA students. He is 2006 RCSWA Kalgoorlie alumnus and returned to the town as part of the Prevocational General Practice Placements Program (PGPPP) in 2009 to work at the Collins Street Surgery. Then Kalgoorlie stalwarts Dr Andrew Kirke and Dr Phil Reid were his mentors. Russ loves being a rural GP because of the connections formed with patients and the stories they share about their lives. It’s almost like being part of their family!

What I love about the RCSWA
The opportunities that it provides for students to experience how amazing it is to live and work rurally. Hopefully we can convince them to come back and work rurally in the future.

academic services officer, busselton
Kelli Waters

Kelli is a friendly face and good listening ear for students and staff in Busselton. With her background in medical reception, hospital administration and farming, she is super-efficient with clinical placement rosters, assessments, student events and maintenance! Kelli was inspired to apply for the role because she could apply her practical skills and creative thinking, plus Busselton has a magnificent natural environment and superb food, wine and arts culture.

What I love about the RCSWA
I love that we give students the experience of being a rural clinician and being part of a rural community. I love feeling the vitality and inspiration the students bring. We also have an incredibly supportive network of staff across the state who work together to meet challenges while prioritising health and wellness.