Regional Training Hubs

Regional Training Hubs is funded by the Australian Government to grow post-graduate training pathways in regional WA. We support medical students and rural doctors with career planning, specialist education, and networking opportunities. Located in every region of WA, our experienced mentors will help you navigate your rural training journey.

Connect with our experts

Career Planning

Create a training pathway to suit your professional and personal requirements.

Mentoring

Connect with rural mentors for support in navigating the rural training journey.

Networking

Build relationships with clinicians, educators and employers in rural WA.

Discover rural training for doctors

All hubs and locations

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

Carnarvon
Esperance
Geraldton
Kalgoorlie

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Albany
Bunbury
Busselton
Collie
Narrogin
Northam
Warren Blackwood

Broome

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Name of town	Broome
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate and final year of study
Intern	Full year placement and rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Obstetrics & Gynaecology Psychiatry *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Clinical Service Improvement Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Obstetrics & Gynaecology Paediatrics Psychiatry Primary Care including Royal Flying Doctors Service, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services *information subject to change
Registrar	Emergency Medicine General Medicine Medical Administration Medical Education Paediatrics Psychiatry Ophthalmology *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Emergency Medicine Obstetrics Remote Medicine: Royal Flying Doctors Service *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Derby

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Name of town	Derby
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Medicine *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Karratha

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Name of town	Karratha
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate of year of study
Intern	Rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Medicine *information subject to change
Registrar	Paediatrics *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Emergency Medicine *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Kununurra

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Name of town	Kununurra
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Medicine *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Port Hedland

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Name of town	Port Hedland
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate of study
Intern	Rotations from tertiary hospitals General Medicine General Surgery *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Surgery Obstetrics & Gynaecology Paediatrics *information subject to change
Registrar	General Medicine Psychiatry *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service Newman Emergency Medicine Remote Medicine: Royal Flying Doctors Service *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Carnarvon

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

Name of town	Carnarvon
RCSWA	No
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	No
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Esperance

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

Name of town	Esperance
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	Rural Generalist rotation from Ramsay Health Joondalup *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	No
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Geraldton

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

Name of town	Geraldton
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate and final year of study
Intern	Full year placement and rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Paediatrics Psychiatry Orthopaedics *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Anaesthetics Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Medical Administration Medical Education Orthopaedics Obstetrics and Gynaecology Paediatrics Psychiatry Public Health *information subject to change
Registrar	Anaesthetics Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Practice General Surgery Obstetrics and Gynaecology Orthopaedics Paediatrics Psychiatry Public Health *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Adult Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine Obstetrics and Gynaecology Paediatrics *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Adult Physician Training Opportunities and Rotations (RAPTOR) pre-specialist training Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Kalgoorlie

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

Name of town	Kalgoorlie
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	Rotations from tertiary hospitals General Medicine Surgery *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Obstetrics and Gynaecology Paediatrics Perioperative Medicine Psychiatry *information subject to change
Registrar	Anaesthetics Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Practice General Surgery Obstetrics and Gynaecology Paediatrics Psychiatry *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Adult Internal Medicine Anaesthetics Paediatrics Remote Medicine: Royal Flying Doctors Service Surgery *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Adult Physician Training Opportunities and Rotations (RAPTOR) pre-specialist training Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Albany

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Albany
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate and final year of study
Intern	Full year placement and rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery General Practice Orthopaedics Psychiatry *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Clinical Service Improvement (RAPTOR Program) Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Geriatric Medicine Medical Specialty Obstetrics and Gynaecology Orthopaedics Paediatrics Palliative Medicine Primary Care - John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program Psychiatry *information subject to change
Registrar	Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Practice General Surgery Geriatric Medicine Medical Education Obstetrics and Gynaecology Oncology Orthopaedics Paediatrics Palliative Care Psychiatry Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Adult Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine Mental Health Obstetrics and Gynaecology Paediatrics Palliative Care *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Applied Surgical Pathway in Rural Environments (ASPIRE) pre-specialist training Rural Adult Physician Training Opportunities and Rotations (RAPTOR) pre-specialist training Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA WA Intensive Care Training Pathway WA Rural Physician Training Program *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Bunbury

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Bunbury
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate and final year of study
Intern	Full year placement and rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Geriatric and Rehabilitation Medicine Orthopaedics Psychiatry *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Anaesthetics Clinical Service Improvement Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Surgery Geriatric Medicine Intensive Care Obstetrics and Gynaecology Orthopaedics Paediatrics Primary Care – John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program Psychiatry Rural Generalist Specialty Surgery (ENT; Ophthalmology and Urology) *information subject to change
Registrar	Anaesthetics Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Practice General Surgery Geriatric Medicine Intensive Care Medical Education Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ophthalmology Orthopaedics Paediatrics Palliative Care Psychiatry Public Health Radiology Rural Generalist Urology *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academic Practice Adult Internal Medicine Anaesthesia Emergency Medicine Mental Health Obstetrics (and Gynaecology) Paediatrics/Child Health Palliative Care Surgery *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA WA Intensive Care Training Pathway WA Rural Physician Training Program *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) ANZCA Rural Generalist Anaesthesia RANZCOG Certificate in Women’s Health, Associate Training Program (Procedural), Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Busselton

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Busselton
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year.
Intern	Rotations from Bunbury and Joondalup Emergency Medicine (Bunbury) General Medicine (Joondalup) Geriatric and Rehabilitation Medicine (Bunbury) information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Anaesthetics Emergency Medicine General Medicine General Practice/Rural Generalist rotation to Margaret River information subject to change
Registrar	Emergency Medicine information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Emergency Medicine information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Foundational Emergency Medicine Training Program (FEMTP), Intermediate Emergency Medicine Training Program (IEMPT) information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Collie

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Collie
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	Primary Care rotation from Bunbury - John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice and Rural Generalist in private practice *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	No
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Narrogin

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Narrogin
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	Rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	General Medicine *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	No
Community Residency Program	Yes
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Northam

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Northam
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	Rotations from tertiary hospitals Emergency Medicine General Medicine Psychiatry (2025) *information subject to change
Resident Medical Officer	Emergency Medicine General Medicine Med Specialties (2025) *information subject to change
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist Psychiatry *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	Adult Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine *information subject to change
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA Rural Psychiatry Training WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications	ACEM Associateship Training Programs: Foundational (FEMTP), Intermediate (IEMTP) and Advanced (AEMTP) *information subject to change
Find Out More	WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Warren Blackwood

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Name of town	Warren Blackwood
RCSWA	Full year placement for medical students in their penultimate year of study
Intern	No
Resident Medical Officer	No
Registrar	General Practice Rural Generalist *information subject to change
Advanced Specialised Training (ACRRM) Additional Rural Skills Training (RACGP)	No
Community Residency Program	No
Specialist Training Programs	Rural Generalist Pathway WA *information subject to change
Other Qualifications
Find Out More	;WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities ACRRM - Advanced Specialised Training RACGP - Additional Rural Skills Training

Rural versus Metro

FAQs

Can I become an intern with the WA Country Health Service if I haven't done RCSWA?

Yes.

Full year internships are available at Albany, Broome, Bunbury and Geraldton.

Metro-based interns can also rotate to WA Country Health Service locations from Fiona Stanley Hospital, Joondalup Health Campus, Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Find out more: WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities
Can I be an RMO or registrar with the WA Country Health Service if I’ve completed my internship in a metropolitan setting?

Yes.

Metro-based RMOs can also rotate to WA Country Health Service sites from Fiona Stanley Hospital, Joondalup Health Campus, Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Find out more: WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities
Will I be able to access some training time in the city if I start my training with the WA Country Health Service?
WA Country Health Service (WACHS) has partnerships and programs designed to ensure rural trainees get exposure to metro training opportunities if required. Here’s how this typically works:

1. Rotations in Metro Hospitals
- Mandatory Rotations: Some training pathways within WACHS include mandatory rotations in Perth-based hospitals, especially for specialties that require access to specific technologies, and facilities that may not be available in rural locations.
- Arranged Rotations: Depending on your training pathway, rotations in fields like surgery, intensive care, or certain specialties (e.g., oncology, cardiology) may be arranged in metro hospitals to give you experience in areas that are less common in rural settings.
2. Flexible Training Pathways
- Some specialist training colleges allow flexible training pathways, which let rural-based trainees complete portions of their training in metro hospitals, especially for specialties like general surgery, internal medicine, and emergency medicine.
Find out more: WA Country Health Service - Placement Opportunities
Will I have the skills to work in a metropolitan setting if I’ve done all my training rurally?
Yes, completing your training in a rural setting provides you with the skills needed to work in a city. In fact, rural training often equips doctors with a unique skill set that is highly valued in metro settings. Here’s why:

1. Broad Clinical Competence
- Comprehensive Training: Rural training often exposes you to a wide range of cases—emergency medicine, chronic disease management, mental health, and more—making you adaptable and well-prepared to handle diverse cases in a metro environment.
- Diagnostic Skills: Rural doctors often work without immediate access to specialists or advanced diagnostic tools, so they develop strong diagnostic and problem-solving skills. This can give you an edge in any setting, as metro hospitals value clinicians who are skilled at making well-reasoned clinical decisions with limited information.
2. Advanced Procedural Skills
- Hands-On Experience: Rural practitioners often perform procedures and interventions that might be the domain of specialists in the city. This experience—whether in suturing, minor surgeries, or emergency care—can be an asset if you move to a metro setting, where you may end up working in high-paced areas like the Emergency Department.
- Critical Thinking in Emergency Situations: Rural settings require fast, autonomous responses to emergencies, which makes rural-trained doctors adept at remaining calm and focused under pressure.
3. Adaptability and Resilience
- Resourcefulness: Working in a rural setting often means finding creative solutions due to resource constraints, which can translate well to metro hospitals where demands are high, and efficiency is critical.
- Independence and Initiative: Rural training emphasises autonomy, which can make you confident in decision-making and able to manage patient loads independently—qualities valued in fast-paced metro settings.
4. Enhanced Communication and Relationship-Building Skills
- Patient-Centered Communication: Rural doctors often develop strong communication skills, as they typically have more time with patients and may see them repeatedly over time. Building this rapport can benefit you in metro practice, where strong patient relationships are key to patient satisfaction.
- Team Collaboration: In rural settings, you work closely with a small team of healthcare professionals, learning to communicate and collaborate effectively across different roles. This is valuable in metro settings where teamwork is essential.
5. Cultural Competence and Empathy
- Diverse Patient Experience: Rural areas have unique health challenges and a mix of cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous communities. This experience can help you bring a culturally sensitive approach to patient care in a metro setting.
- Awareness of Health Disparities: You will have a deeper understanding of socioeconomic and healthcare access issues, making you more attuned to the needs of underserved populations that exist even in cities.
Is rural training better than metropolitan training?
Advantages of Rural Training
1. Broad Scope of Practice: In rural settings, doctors often serve as generalists due to fewer specialists, which can provide training in a wide range of medical issues. This can be beneficial for those wanting to gain diverse, hands-on experience across fields.
2. Close Patient Relationships: Rural doctors often have stronger, longer-term relationships with patients, giving trainees a chance to learn about continuity of care and the importance of patient rapport.
3. Increased Autonomy and Problem-Solving Skills: Limited resources mean trainees in rural areas may develop more independence, resourcefulness, and critical thinking skills as they manage cases without easy access to specialised care.
4. Exposure to Health Disparities: Rural training often involves seeing the effects of health disparities, like limited access to care and higher rates of chronic illness, which can foster a stronger sense of empathy and commitment to underserved communities.
Advantages of Metropolitan Training
1. Access to Specialised Fields: Metropolitan areas typically have large hospitals and medical centres with a variety of specialties, making them ideal for those interested in specialised fields of medicine.
2. High-Tech Facilities and Resources: Metropolitan hospitals are often better equipped with cutting-edge technology and offer access to more resources for diagnosis, treatment, and research, providing exposure to advanced tools and techniques.
What should I expect from training in rural WA?
Rural medical training in WA offers a unique and rewarding experience, with plenty of opportunities to develop broad clinical skills, work closely with patients, and make an impact in underserved communities. Here’s what you can generally expect from training in this setting:

1. Hands-On Experience Across a Range of Medical Areas
- Broad Scope of Practice: You’ll likely be involved in a variety of medical cases, from emergency and trauma care to chronic illness management, paediatrics, mental health, and general practice. This variety can help you develop a broad skill set and confidence in treating diverse health issues.
- Multi-Skilled Training: In rural settings, doctors often need to act as generalists, which means you may perform procedures and manage cases you might not encounter as frequently in a metropolitan setting. It’s common to work across fields like emergency medicine, obstetrics, mental health, and general surgery.
2. Stronger Patient Relationships and Continuity of Care
- Community Connection: Rural communities in WA are often tight-knit, and you’ll likely get to know patients and families over time. This continuity helps you understand the full context of a patient’s health, build trust, and provide personalised care.
- Cultural Competence: Rural WA has a significant Indigenous population, so you’ll likely gain experience working with Indigenous patients and learn about cultural considerations in healthcare.
3. Exposure to Health Disparities and Resource Constraints
- Health Disparities: Many rural areas have higher rates of chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and limited access to healthcare. This exposure can enhance your understanding of rural health challenges and strengthen your commitment to equitable care.
- Limited Resources: Smaller hospitals and clinics in WA’s rural regions may have fewer resources, so you’ll need to learn how to manage cases with less support and make critical decisions when specialist services aren’t readily available.
4. Increased Autonomy and Problem-Solving Skills
- Independence: You may have more responsibility early on in your training and will often work with a small team, which can accelerate your clinical confidence and problem-solving abilities.
- Collaborative Work Environment: You’ll work closely with a small group of healthcare professionals, including nurses, paramedics, and allied health workers, which can enhance your ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across roles.
5. On-Call and Emergency Experience
- On-Call Rotations: Rural healthcare often requires on-call work, especially in emergency situations. You might be one of the first to respond to trauma cases, which can provide intense but valuable experience in emergency medicine.
- Rapid Response Skills: In urgent cases, you’ll need to act quickly and make fast decisions, as access to larger hospitals and specialists is limited. This can be challenging but will sharpen your ability to stay calm under pressure.

Connect with rural champions

Wherever you are in your medical career journey, learn from others who have walked their own paths to success.

Destination Medicine Podcast

The Destination Medicine© podcast library has been created to assist anyone who has thought about a career as a rural doctor to make informed decisions and navigate with greater confidence a rural medical pathway. Our doctors share their candid and fascinating stories so that you, the listener, can have a better understanding of what’s involved in pursuing a rural career pathway.

Find out more

Rural Doctors Speak

What's it like being a doctor in a rural town?

RCSWA Regional Training Hubs invites junior doctors and Rural General Practice Placement students from around WA to talk about their lives and aspirations in this series of Health Campus Hangout.

Read the latest

Rural High School Program

RCSWA is a partnership between The University of Western Australia, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and Curtin University. The RCSWA Rural High School Program provides high school students throughout country WA with advice and support to enter medicine at our partner universities.

The program also delivers a series of hands-on skills workshops throughout the year in Bunbury exploring both medical and allied health careers in collaboration with Edith Cowan University South West.

Find out more

Our collaborative partners

We work collaboratively with a wide range of rural health stakeholders to support, identify, and develop rural training opportunities. Our current projects include general practice, psychiatry, and paediatric training. Our partners include but are not limited to:

WA Country Health Service

The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) is the largest country health system in Australia and one of the biggest in the world, providing health services to approximately half a million people, including 45,000 Aboriginal people, over a vast two and a half million square kilometre area. The organisation comprises seven regions, with a strong network of public hospitals, health services and health centres located across rural and remote Western Australia. Our core business is the provision of quality, accessible health services to country WA residents and visitors.

Find out more: www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au

Rural Generalist Pathway WA

The aim of the Rural Generalist Pathway is to streamline the training journey for aspiring Rural Generalists. Once on the pathway, trainees will be assigned a mentor who is an experienced Rural Generalist, provided with individualised career navigation, connected to our network of stakeholders and given priority access to requisite courses. The WA Rural Generalist Pathway Coordination Unit is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health under the National Rural Generalist Pathway.

Find out more: ruralgeneralist.health.wa.gov.au

Rural Doctors’ Association of Western Australia

The Rural Doctors’ Association of Western Australia is the peak professional body representing the interests of rural and remote doctors and the communities they live and work in.  It is committed to building and maintaining a workforce of highly skilled and motivated rural medical practitioners which requires adequate training and proper incentives, remuneration and support.

Find out more: www.rdawa.com.au

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) for setting professional medical standards for training, assessment, certification and continuing professional development in the specialty of general practice.

We are the only College in Australia dedicated to rural and remote medicine, and we play an important role in supporting junior doctors and medical students considering a career in rural medicine. We are committed to delivering sustainable, high-quality health services to rural and remote communities by providing quality education programs, innovative support, and strong representation for doctors who serve those communities.

Find out more: www.acrrm.org.au

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the voice of general practitioners in our growing cities, and throughout rural and remote Australia. For more than 60 years, the RACGP has supported the backbone of Australia’s health system by setting the standards for education and practice and advocating for better health and wellbeing for all Australians.

The pathway to fellowship with the RACGP is challenging but rewarding. Fellowship is a step towards a career where you will have the opportunity to further specialise, be faced with a diverse range of medical conditions, and have opportunities to make a difference to your patients and their communities. Start your journey with a student membership with the RACGP, which unlocks a network of support and resources.

Find out more: www.racgp.org.au

Rural Health West

Rural Health West believes that everyone, everywhere is entitled to access to quality healthcare. We deliver programs to attract, recruit and support health professionals to regional, rural and remote WA. Rural Health West supports rural health professionals through a diverse range of programs and services including professional development such as conferences and workshops, financial support through grants and sponsorships, rural immersions, personal and family support, outreach programs, business support and advice to practices. Our personalised recruitment service helps fill roles such as rural GPs, nursing, midwifery, dental and allied health jobs – where they are needed most.

Find out more: www.ruralhealthwest.com.au

Get in touch

Let's Chat

Call the RCSWA Administrative Headquarters from 8.30am to 5.00pm (Western Standard Time):

+61 8 6488 3131

Email us

Email your enquiry to:

hubs@rcswa.edu.au

Visit us

Our headquarters are located at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital, St Alban's Road, Kalgoorlie

Or you can visit the UWA School of Medicine in Perth

Regional Training Hubs

Connect with our experts

Career Planning

Mentoring

Networking

Discover rural training for doctors

All hubs and locations

Kimberley - Pilbara Hub

Mid West - Goldfields Hub

South West, Great Southern & Wheatbelt Hub

Broome

Derby

Karratha

Kununurra

Port Hedland

Carnarvon

Esperance

Geraldton

Kalgoorlie

Albany

Bunbury

Busselton

Collie

Narrogin

Northam

Warren Blackwood

Rural versus Metro

FAQs

Connect with rural champions

Destination Medicine Podcast

Rural Doctors Speak

Rural High School Program

Our collaborative partners

WA Country Health Service

Rural Generalist Pathway WA

Rural Doctors’ Association of Western Australia

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Rural Health West

Get in touch

Let's Chat

Email us

Visit us

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