The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia was established in 2002 with the explicit goal of attracting more doctors to regional, rural and remote practice.

It sits within the UWA School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences.

In 2007, the Rural Clinical School successfully incorporated medical students from the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNDA to establish the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia – one collaborative, rural clinical school in the State. Approximately one-third of the students now come from UNDA. The students represent 25 per cent of fifth-year UWA and third-year UNDA cohorts. They spend the entire academic year at their site.

The School was honoured in the 2008 Premier's Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management - twice. The School was one of three finalists in two categories: "Creating Jobs and Economic Prosperity" and "Strengthening Regional Western Australia". It was judged the winner of the former.

Clinical placements

Our students' clinical placements occur in general practices, local hospitals, community and remote clinics, Aboriginal medical services and other health facilities. The sites are heterogeneous in many respects, and accordingly are granted significant autonomy in the delivery of the program. "The same curriculum is taught in 12 different ways". There is constant electronic communication, and there are four, two-day, face-to-face meetings of the staff annually.

Students are well supported with free accommodation and travel, subsidised mobile phones, laptops lent for the year, weekly allowances and more. They make the most of the opportunities offered by living in rural communities, usually joining local sporting teams or volunteering in service clubs or emergency services.

The program is very highly regarded nationally, and in 2007 was awarded a prestigious Carrick Award predominantly for curriculum innovation.

The content (and outcome) of the curriculum is identical to the urban curriculum, but it is delivered in a significantly different way. Students are taught and assessed (examined) to the same standard as the urban students and the results are entirely comparable to the urban program. The quality of teaching and learning has been a major focus of the School, and a number of our academic staff have completed postgraduate diplomas in medical education since joining the School.

A strong base of research has also been progressively established with a particular focus on indigenous health and several research groups are now winning nationally competitive grants including National Health and Medical Research Council grants.