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.

Academic Services Officer, Urban 
Sandra Brennan

Sandra assists staff within the RCSWA's urban office, located at the QEII M-Block office. She provides them with administrative support as well as supporting the SPINRPHEX group. Sandra grew up regionally but is now based in Perth, joining the RCSWA team in mid-2021.

What I love about the RCSWA
I love being part of a big family community and interacting with a diverse group of staff and students across the state.

evaluation Coordinator, Urban 
Michele Gawlinski

Michele joined RCSWA in 2010 and previously lived and worked in Moora Western Australia and rural Queensland. She played an integral part in developing our early curriculum and has been critical to the development and evaluation of the successful Final Year Program. Michele's current role has a broad scope, assisting to review and evaluate many aspects of the school including selection processes and long-term impacts. 

What I love about the RCSWA
Rural doctors are a crucial part of strong rural communities and I have seen the huge difference they make to people's lives. It's exciting to see students return to rural areas to pursue their medical careers.

mentor, Metro 
Sarah Woodland

Sarah's role is to help medical students build their careers as rural doctors by connecting them with different rural medical training pathways. Now based in Perth, Sarah previously worked in the Kimberley for 11 years and part of that was with the RCSWA.

What I love about the RCSWA
I love seeing students realise that working in rural health will give them what they want in their professional life and lifestyle.

Contact: [email protected]