The Rural Clinical School of WA

The Rural Clinical School of WA (RCSWA) helps rural communities sustain a locally trained and loyal medical workforce by placing medical students in country regions. Under the program, students gain valuable hands-on experience, enjoy close mentoring and are more likely to return to rural towns after they graduate. The RCSWA offers placements in 15 rural towns between Kununurra and Esperance, and more than 105 students a year are selected to spend their penultimate year of study in these locations. Students work in small teams with local academic staff, doctors, medical professionals and mentors, and in health services including paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine, Indigenous health and general practice. The RCSWA aims to drive a larger presence of doctors into country towns that face health and medical welfare challenges while giving student doctors the chance to learn from real-life experiences. Peer-reviewed research shows students who undertake an RCSWA ...