Rural Clinical School of WA students arrive in Broome for placement

A new cohort of Rural Clinical School of WA students have arrived in Broome, with the 12 trainee doctors to work at Broome Hospital and clinics around town this year.

The 10 penultimate and two final-year students in Broome are joined by 138 other students spread out over 15 different sites Statewide, including Derby and Kununurra.

The RCSWA is a collaboration between medical schools of The University of WA, The University of Notre Dame and Curtin University, and offers year-long rural placements for medical students in their last two years of study.

About 50 per cent of RCSWA graduates complete some form of rural placement as doctors, and 25 per cent embark on long-term placements, of up to five years in rural locations.

Broome Rural Clinical School medical co-ordinator Dr Rachel Hall said the students were enjoying their time learning and lapping up the Broome sunshine.

“This year we have five Indigenous students, some of them from the Kimberley,” she said.

“They will work in the hospitals and GP clinics shadowing doctors and learning from the patients in an apprenticeship-type model.

“We are excited to see that many of our students stay on to work as doctors in the region.”

The students also have opportunities to continue working rurally after completing their studies with 25, year-long, rural intern placements offered through the WA Country Health Service each year.