Rural Clinical Schools

Rural Clinical Schools

• Background Information
• Educational Experience
• Bathurst
• Lismore

Background Information
In 2009, the UWS School of Medicine received funding from the Federal Department of Health & Ageing to establish  two rural clinical schools (RCS). These are being established in Bathurst and Lismore.

The Rural Clinical Schools program is designed to encourage medical students to take up a career in rural practice by enabling them to undertake extended clinical training placements in rural locations.
The program also seeks to have a more immediate impact on the rural medical workforce by encouraging health professionals to take up rural academic positions, often through joint funding arrangements with local area health services.

The development of rural medical training infrastructure, including new educational facilities and student accommodation is a major aspect of the program in this start-up phase. Plans are well underway in both Bathurst & Lismore to provide purpose-built student accommodation and rural educational facilities. Expected date of completion of works will be mid 2011.

Educational Experience
The delivery of the UWS Medical Program in rural settings gives students both excellence in medical education experience as well as the benefits of a rural lifestyle to encourage graduates to return to live and practise in rural and remote Australia.

The RCS also provides an academic focus for clinicians, teachers and researchers who wish to become part of the University presence in a rural environment.

Students in rural schools complete the same curriculum as their Sydney-based classmates, within a rural context. They can expect:
• small student-teacher ratios
• easy access to clinical experience
• enhanced skills acquisition
• less commuting
• well-equipped learning & living facilities
• friendly country communities

Lismore Rural Clinical School
The School of Medicine is a partner in the North Coast Medical Education Collaboration with the University of Sydney and the University of Wollongong.

The UWS Sub Dean is Dr John Graham, a long term resident of Lismore and a consultant vascular surgeon at Lismore Base Hospital.

Fourteen students will be placed at Lismore Rural Clinical School in June 2010.

Contact:
Wendy Byron
02 6620 7377

Bathurst Rural Clinical School
At Bathurst, the Rural Clinical School development is under the leadership of the Clinical Dean, Associate Professor Tim McCrossin. Associate Professor McCrossin is a Consultant Paediatrician and has lived in Bathurst with his family for 13 years. 

Eight students will be placed in the Bathurst Rural Clinical School in June 2010.


About Bathurst Hospital
Bathurst Hospital is a Rural Acute Hospital located on the eastern border of Greater Western Area Health Service. Bathurst Hospital has 101 beds and services the acute needs of the community. Clinical Services within the hospital include:

• Allied Health
• Ambulatory Care
• Coronary Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Intensive Care
• Medical
• Mental Health
• Obstetrics & gynaecology
• Oncology
• Paediatrics
• Pathology
• Radiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Surgical

Research
In Bathurst it is planned to have students complete their Community Group Research Project one day per week for 20 weeks. Students will be encouraged to explore issues of disadvantage as it might apply to healthcare within a Rural community.

Medical research will be an increasing aspect of the activities. We encourage our students to be involved in research and facilitate our staff and teachers to be involved in research projects. An increasing number of medical publications attest to this success.