Effective community engagement is important to the work of the Rural Clinical School and central to providing good support to Rural Clinical School staff and students. The RCS Community Advisory Board assists the development of the School and facilitates partnerships with local communities.

RCS Community Engagement activities aim to provide rural communities in the region with a clearer understanding of how future doctors and other health professionals are trained for rural practice, and how the RCS and local communities can work together to ensure these strategies work well.

Through our partnerships with regional communities these initiatives are starting to address critical rural medical workforce shortages and will improve rural health outcomes into the future.

In return, links to the University through the RCS provide rural and remote communities with educational, research and potential support opportunities and a pathway for developing relationships with the health professionals of the future.

Examples of community-based activities are:

• providing support for students and visiting clinicians in the region - including assistance with accommodation and identification of employment opportunities through our community business partners;
• developing new scholarships and awards in partnership with local organisations;
• linking students to supportive social networks to enhance their rural and remote medical practice experiences;
• developing a regional health careers program for high school students through a partnership between health and education providers in the north west community; and
• advocating a regional approach to health care through an alliance with key regional partners.

Read the latest news from the RCS in the Rural Clinical School bulletin