About Us
Our Culture
The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA) was established in 2002 to help deliver better health outcomes for people living in country WA.
Our vision for the future is to build on our successes and foster an exceptional locally trained, research-driven, collegiate, academic and clinical community, providing equitable healthcare to rural and remote WA.
Our values are;
Students first – we exist to support students and junior doctors, and strengthen rural intention while they achieve their academic and career goals.
One team – we work as one team across Western Australia, caring for each other while advancing our vision and mission.
Leadership – we are leaders in rural health education and research, and draw strength from our partnerships.
Excellence – we strive for excellence in rural health education, administration, and research outcomes.
Driving Real Change
The RCSWA helps rural communities sustain a locally trained and loyal medical workforce by placing penultimate and final year medical students across a network of 15 sites. Students gain valuable hands-on experience and professional mentoring throughout the 12-month program.
In 2025, a total of 111 penultimate year and 22 final year medical students are training across the state. The partnership between RCSWA and the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) continues to grow with the integration of RCSWA Penultimate and Final Year programs with WACHS Rural Intern Placements.
Peer-reviewed research shows that students who undertake an RCSWA placement are four times more likely to return to work in regional areas compared to others.
History & Legacy
May 2002 - Inaugural Head of School Prof. Campbell Murdoch meets with administrator Rhonda Worthington and medical coordinator Dr Phil Reid in Kalgoorlie
Jun 2002 - Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Port Hedland and Broome offices open for seven UWA medical students for 14 weeks (GP and O&G). Students given option to extend training to paediatrics
Jan 2004 - Esperance office opens
Jan 2005 - Derby and Albany offices open
Jan 2006 - Karratha office opens
Nov 2006 - New Kalgoorlie office built at hospital site
Jan 2007 - Bunbury and Narrogin offices open
Jan 2007 - University of Notre Dame Australia students join school
Jan 2007 - Prof. Geoff Riley becomes Head of School
Jan 2009 - Busselton and Carnarvon offices open
Jan 2011 - Kununurra office opens
Jan 2014 - Northam office opens
Jan 2015 - Prof. David Atkinson becomes Head of School
Jul 2017 - RCSWA Integrated Regional Training Hubs program established
Jan 2019 - Dr Andrew Kirke becomes Head of School
Jan 2019 - Final Year Program launches in Bunbury
Jan 2019 - Curtin University students join school
Jan 2020 - Warren Blackwood office opens in Bridgetown
Jan 2020 - Final Year Program launches in Albany
Jan 2021 - Final Year Program launches in Broome
Jan 2022 - Final Year Program launches in Geraldton and Kalgoorlie
Jan 2023 - Collie office opens
Rural Clinical School students have made important contributions to all the communities they have been placed in. The RCSWA is valued by rural WA in large part because of the students’ engagement with their communities and what they have achieved since 2002.Andrew Kirke
Head of School RCSWA
Our Team
Head of School, Bunbury
Andrew Kirke
Andrew was appointed Head of School in 2019 and is responsible for strategic planning, educational leadership, research oversight, financial management, community engagement, advocacy, and conflict resolution. An Associate Professor, Andrew regularly meets with UWA, Notre Dame Australia and Curtin University Medical School Deans and key stakeholders including the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) to ensure RCSWA continues to deliver meaningful, high quality rural training and research. He originally joined the school in 2006 in Kalgoorlie as a Medical Coordinator while working locally as a GP Obstetrician.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love that it is such a positive and enthusiastic organisation where people share their knowledge and help others see the wonderful possibilities of living and working in rural WA.
co-Deputy Director & academic coordinator, urban
Kirsty Freeman
Kirsty brings more than 20 years of experience in health professional education and simulation-based training to her role, alongside her lived experience of growing up in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. She oversees curriculum development, assessment strategies, and program evaluation while leading initiatives to strengthen rural medical education pathways. Kirsty also serves on several boards including the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) and the WA Simulation in Healthcare Alliance (WASHA). Her current research focuses on supporting medical student development in rural contexts.
What I love about the RCSWA
What truly inspires me about the RCSWA is our commitment to developing sustainable healthcare teams in rural and remote communities. Having grown up in regional WA, I'm passionate about nurturing medical education as a viable career pathway in rural settings. I love seeing our students develop strong connections with rural communities while receiving high-quality clinical education. Our collaborative approach and the dedication of our team across all sites creates an environment where we can truly make a difference in rural healthcare workforce development.
co-deputy director & medical coordinator, albany
Christel Smit-Kroner
Christel leads a large team of medical coordinators in Albany and is very active on RCSWA sub-committees including sustainability, education technology, and OSCE. Locally, Christel also works in Aboriginal health, psychiatry, and youth mental health services with Headspace. She considers the most rewarding parts of her medical career to be the privilege of hearing patients’ stories and being involved in providing excellent care.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love RCSWA because it is a value-driven organisation, with room for personal input and creativity. I enjoy spending time with medical students, considering medical topics, and teaching knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The most rewarding experience is watching our alumni shine as they become colleagues and we work together as a team.
sub-dean student matters WA & lEad Medical Coordinator, Busselton
Sarah Moore
Sarah is a GP Obstetrician in Busselton and divides her time between teaching students and supporting student wellbeing at RCSWA, and consulting in 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 became a medical educator. Mindfulness in medical education and whole-person care delivery is the focus of Sarah’s current PhD studies.
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.
regional training hubs academic lead, BUNBURY
Bronwyn Peirce
Bronwyn is a Senior Emergency Physician and participates in bedside teaching, assessments and scholarly activity supervision. As the WA Regional Training Hubs Academic Lead, Bronwyn works with the Hubs team to develop rural training pathways and to mentor rural doctors at all career levels. She loves helping students become doctors and seeing them grow their knowledge, skills and attitudes.
What I love about the RCSWA
It feels like family to me and I've always loved the innovative, can-do attitude that comes from the top down.
OPERATIONS MANAGER, BUNBURY
Robyn Fortune
Robyn was inspired to work at RCSWA because of its amazing people and her passion for quality career development, improving access to healthcare for regional communities, and doing meaningful work that contributes to Closing the Gap. She enjoys helping students and staff to realise their professional goals and enhancing their rural learning and living experience.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love that everyone looks out for one another and that our organisation values the human connections and contributions we make.
Senior principal Research Fellow, broome
Julia Marley
Julia was RCSWA's first dedicated research staff member and is now Senior Principal Research Fellow. She has played a key role in establishing and maintaining sustainable academic research practice within the Kimberley and is now expanding this across the regions. She leads various rural and remote health research projects in conjunction with fellow RCSWA staff and supervises postgraduate research students. Julia's current roles include co-leading the multi-site ORCHID study.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love being able to work with diverse Aboriginal communities and health services on the health issues they feel are most important, translating our research findings into policy and practice, and building a rurally-based, broadly skilled health researcher workforce.
REGIONAL TRAINING HUBS Team Leader, GERALDTON
Fraser Adam
Fraser supports a state-wide team assisting medical students and junior doctors in forging their career pathways from first year medical student with rural intentions to Fellow rural practitioner. In collaboration with our stakeholders, the Regional Training Hubs team strive to develop new prevocational and vocational rural training pathways for early career doctors, contributing to a more sustainable rural medical workforce.
What I love about the RCSWA
Having worked regionally in health for over 30 years, I love the RCSWA cultural fit with my own personal values of achieving equitable access to high quality and culturally appropriate healthcare in rural WA.
ACADEMIC SERVICES Team Leader, Albany
Joslyn Pass
Jos leads a dynamic team of Academic Services Officers providing administration, pastoral care and support to students and medical educators across all 15 sites. Jos has lived in Albany most of her life, with brief stints in Kojonup, and was first introduced to UWA when she completed her degree and honours at the UWA Albany campus.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the team I work with and the fact I can pick up the phone and talk to anyone across the state. I love that every year is different with a new group of students.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, BUNBURY
Nikki McDonald
Nikki provides support to the management team and has a deep understanding of the unique challenges of rural and remote communities from her previous experience in a government agency advocating for and supporting vulnerable people.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the strong sense of team connection and the positive, supportive working environment. Being part of an organisation that is dedicated to improving healthcare in regional and remote communities is incredibly rewarding, and I’m inspired every day by the collective passion and commitment of the team.
IT BUSINESS ADVISOR, Albany
Sam Elliott
Sam works on IT programs and infrastructure projects across the state in collaboration with UWA and RCSWA IT staff. He has many years of experience supporting the IT function within universities and schools and is well prepared for most situations!
What I love about the RCSWA
I love that I can be based in the beautiful city of Kinjarling (Albany) on Menang Country and work with fantastic staff and students. Every day is different, and I love helping people on site or online wherever they are across the state.
RGPP & Electives Placement officer, Urban
Hayley Newberry
Hayley is the Rural General Practice (RGPP) and Rural Electives Placement Officer. While based in Perth, Hayley stays connected with doctors, students and medical coordinators across the state to ensure final year students from UWA, Notre Dame and Curtin have a positive and practical learning experience in their allotted rural location. She identifies and secures student placements in practices, books student accommodation, and is responsible for RGPP administration. Hayley has been on the UWA team since 2004 and joined the RCSWA family in 2016.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love being part of a positive work environment with enthusiastic, friendly colleagues and helping students on their career paths into rural medicine.
Partner Universities
The University of WA
The University of Notre Dame
Curtin University
Who we work with
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