The School of Indigenous Studies leads the University’s institution–wide strategies for Indigenous higher education. They are recognised for Indigenous education leadership and success in developing innovative education pathways and graduating Indigenous students from professional degrees including Medicine. The School has a comprehensive outreach and transition program for Indigenous secondary students and is recognised for its publications in children’s literature. They have a strong background in cultural competency, Indigenous knowledge, and mental health research. The School makes a substantial contribution to national policy development in Indigenous education and health.

Working collaboratively with the School, the Poche Centre can draw on substantial Indigenous research, education and health expertise and networks, Indigenous student and graduate cohorts throughout WA, and high-level policy development expertise.

The Faculty has internationally respected credentials in health services, research and health policy development and long-established national strengths in Aboriginal health research, curriculum development and graduating Aboriginal doctors, dentists and health service professionals. While these strengths extend across the Faculty, they are most evident within the key figures and key research initiatives of specialist Centres and Schools within the Faculty that have established significant and successful footprints in Aboriginal health.

• The Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health
• The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia
• The Western Australian Centre for Rural Health
• The School of Paediatrics and Child Health

The Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health leads Indigenous student services and the development of an Indigenous health curriculum in the Faculty. The Poche Centre will be able to draw on the richness of nearly two decades of experience by CAMDH in establishing strong links to Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal community controlled health organisations in their vigorous pursuit of optimal approaches to Aboriginal health, education and research.

The Poche Centre will span all of Western Australia, building on the 13 sites across the State that have now been established by the Rural Clinical School, the largest distributed Medical School entity in the world, as well as sites established by the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health in the Mid-West and the Pilbara.