About Us
Our Culture
The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA) was established in 2002 to help deliver better health outcomes for people living in country WA.
Our vision for the future is to build on our successes and foster an exceptional locally trained, research-driven, collegiate, academic and clinical community, providing equitable healthcare to rural and remote WA.
Our values are;
Students first – we exist to support students and junior doctors, and strengthen rural intention while they achieve their academic and career goals.
One team – we work as one team across Western Australia, caring for each other while advancing our vision and mission.
Leadership – we are leaders in rural health education and research, and draw strength from our partnerships.
Excellence – we strive for excellence in rural health education, administration, and research outcomes.
Driving Real Change
The RCSWA helps rural communities sustain a locally trained and loyal medical workforce by placing penultimate and final year medical students across a network of 15 sites. Students gain valuable hands-on experience and professional mentoring throughout the 12-month program.
Peer-reviewed research shows that students who undertake an RCSWA placement are four times more likely to return to work in regional areas compared to others.
History & Legacy
May 2002 - Inaugural Head of School Prof. Campbell Murdoch meets with administrator Rhonda Worthington and medical coordinator Dr Phil Reid in Kalgoorlie
Jun 2002 - Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Port Hedland and Broome offices open for seven UWA medical students for 14 weeks (GP and O&G). Students given option to extend training to paediatrics
Jan 2004 - Esperance office opens
Jan 2005 - Derby and Albany offices open
Jan 2006 - Karratha office opens
Nov 2006 - New Kalgoorlie office built at hospital site
Jan 2007 - Bunbury and Narrogin offices open
Jan 2007 - University of Notre Dame Australia students join school
Jan 2007 - Prof. Geoff Riley becomes Head of School
Jan 2009 - Busselton and Carnarvon offices open
Jan 2011 - Kununurra office opens
Jan 2014 - Northam office opens
Jan 2015 - Prof. David Atkinson becomes Head of School
Jul 2017 - RCSWA Integrated Regional Training Hubs program established
Jan 2019 - Dr Andrew Kirke becomes Director of School
Jan 2019 - Final Year Program launches in Bunbury
Jan 2019 - Curtin University students join school
Jan 2020 - Warren Blackwood office opens in Bridgetown
Jan 2020 - Final Year Program launches in Albany
Jan 2021 - Final Year Program launches in Broome
Jan 2022 - Final Year Program launches in Geraldton and Kalgoorlie
Jan 2023 - Collie office opens
Rural Clinical School students have made important contributions to all the communities they have been placed in. The RCSWA is valued by rural WA in large part because of the students’ engagement with their communities and what they have achieved since 2002.Andrew Kirke
Head of School RCSWA
Our Team
Head of School, Bunbury
Andrew Kirke
Andrew is the Head of School for the RCSWA, based in Bunbury. He is responsible for ensuring all sites are functioning and adequately staffed, that students have all required resources, and mediate any student and site issues. Andrew regularly meets with the medical deans from UWA, Notre Dame and Curtin and with representatives from FRAME (Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators) to maintain strong ties with the RCSWA's partners and ensure school operations run smoothly. He joined the RCSWA in 2006 in Kalgoorlie as a Medical Coordinator and became Head of School in 2019.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love that it is such a positive, enthusiastic organisation where people get totally involved in sharing their knowledge and bring other people in to see the possibilities of living in rural WA.
Co-deputy director, Derby
Susannah Warwick
Susannah is a Co-Deputy Director of RCSWA, Sub Dean of Student Affairs and the lead Medical Coordinator in Derby. She coordinates medical student training in Derby, teaches Derby students and supports student wellbeing. When she isn't with her RCSWA students, Susannah can be found at Derby Aboriginal Health Service working as a GP. She now calls Derby home after stints in Canada and Queensland.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love living in a small rural community, working with three universities, working in medical education and the collegiality of the RCSWA.
Co-Deputy Director, Bunbury
Bronwyn Peirce
Bronwyn is a Co-Deputy Director of RCSWA and Academic Lead of the Regional Training Hubs Program. She is based in Bunbury and works as an emergency physician. Bron participates in bedside teaching, assessments and scholarly activity supervision, but spends most of her time on the management teams behind curriculum, staffing, student welfare, and rural training pathways. She loves helping students become doctors and seeing them grow their knowledge, skills and attitudes.
What I love about the RCSWA
It feels like family to me and I've always loved the innovative, can-do attitude that comes from the top down.
Senior Team Leader, Kalgoorlie
Rhonda Worthington
Rhonda was one of the founding members of the RCSWA and has remained an integral part of the team since. Her varied role includes staff recruitment, student assessments, capital works, student interviews, HR, everyday issues, and much more. Students will likely meet Rhonda for the first time during the RCSWA interview stage and receive regular advice and information from her throughout their RCSWA year. Rhonda has spent most of her life in Kalgoorlie and is proud to call the town her home.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the family-like atmosphere, the supportive environment, and the students are fantastic.
Senior principal Research Fellow, broome
Julia Marley
Julia was RCSWA's first dedicated research staff member and is now Senior Principal Research Fellow. She has played a key role in establishing and maintaining sustainable academic research practice within the Kimberley and is now expanding this across the regions. She leads various rural and remote health research projects in conjunction with fellow RCSWA staff and supervises postgraduate research students. Julia's current roles include co-leading the multi-site ORCHID study.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love being able to work with diverse Aboriginal communities and health services on the health issues they feel are most important, translating our research findings into policy and practice, and building a rurally-based, broadly skilled health researcher workforce.
HUBS Team Leader, geraldton
Fraser Adam
Fraser is the Team Leader for WA Regional Training Hubs. Based in Geraldton, Fraser supports a statewide team assisting medical students and junior doctors in creating their career pathway from first year medical student with rural intentions to Fellow rural practitioner. In collaboration with our stakeholders, the Hubs team strive to develop new prevocational and vocational rural training pathways for early career doctors, contributing to the creation of a sustainable medical workforce that supports the health requirements of our local communities.
What I love about the RCSWA
Having worked regionally in health for over 30 years, I love the RCSWA cultural fit with my own personal values of achieving equitable access to high quality and culturally appropriate healthcare in rural WA.
Team Leader North, Albany
Joslyn Pass
Joslyn is responsible for everything you can think of (other than clinical content) for Albany RCSWA students. From getting students to and from site, organising housing and local events, and scheduling placements. Joslyn is the go-to person for Albany students and anyone visiting the Albany RCSWA site. Jos has lived in Albany most of her life with brief stints in Kojonup, and was first introduced to UWA when she completed her degree and honours at the UWA Albany campus.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the team I work with and the fact I can pick up the phone and talk to anyone across the state. I love that every year is different with a new group of students.
HUBS Bonded Scholars, Urban
Sue Pougnault
Sue is a Project Officer with WA Rural Training Hubs, based in Perth. She meets with potential future medical students in high school, and mentors pre-clinical year students who are interested in applying for the RCSWA. She works across UWA, University of Notre Dame, and Curtin Medical School and was one of the original team to see the birth of the RCSWA in 2002.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love the chance and experiences that students gain on all things 'rural', which offers career diversity and opportunity. It is a year of consolidation of their clinical skills and an amazing opportunity - at the same time - to provide holistic health care across multiple settings.
RGPP & Electives Placement officer, Urban
Hayley Newberry
Hayley is the Rural General Practice (RGPP) and Rural Electives Placement Officer. While based in Perth, Hayley stays connected with doctors, students and medical coordinators across the state to ensure final year students from UWA, Notre Dame and Curtin have a positive and practical learning experience in their allotted rural location. She identifies and secures student placements in practices, books student accommodation, and is responsible for RGPP administration. Hayley has been on the UWA team since 2004 and joined the RCSWA family in 2016.
What I love about the RCSWA
I love being part of a positive work environment with enthusiastic, friendly colleagues and helping students on their career paths into rural medicine.
Partner Universities
The University of WA
The University of Notre Dame
Curtin University
Our Collaborative Partners
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