Rural Clinical School allocations

If you join the Rural Clinical School (RCS) you will be challenged to go further and do more. You will gain a greater depth and breadth of experience and benefit from hands-on, face-to-face, up-close-and-personal experience. You will get to live and work in a vibrant regional community and experience the many attractions the community and its people have to offer. Find more information here.

RCS background

The RCS was established in 2002 and is funded by the Australian Government’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program (Department of Health, 2020). The RHMT program requires that each year, at least 25% of the CSP-funded graduating medical student cohort have spent at least one full academic year at an RCS Clinical Unit.

In 2023 the provision of integrated end-to-end training pathways for regional, rural, and remote doctors was implemented through the CQ-WB Regional Medical Pathway (RMP) partnership and this was followed by the DD-SW Medical Pathway partnership in 2024. Between 2024 and 2026, the RCS will transition from offering 1-2 years of the MD program through to the full 4 years. Students who enter through undergraduate/provisional entry will have the opportunity to complete the majority of their studies in the regions.

In 2025, the RCS will offer the final year year-long allocations to current Year 3 students for Year 4 2024.  Following the EOI allocation process (outlined below), and before the main preferencing round, the number of placements available at each site for Year 4 will be published.

Expression of Interest (EOI) for Allocation to an RCS Clinical Unit in 2025

Year 4 2025 - RCS EOI

Domestic Students: The RCS will seek EOI’s from domestic students in Year 3 for allocation to any of the four RCS Regional Clinical Units for the following year. 

International Students: The RCS will seek EOIs from international students in Year 3 for allocation to the Rockhampton Regional Clinical Unit for Year 4 2025.

Opting Out of RCS: Students who have already completed a full year of placement at an RCS Clinical Unit will be able to opt out of returning to a Regional Clinical Unit for Year 4. All current Year 3 students allocated to the RCS will receive an email which will provide further details about spending Year 4 at the RCS. Students will also be provided with a link to an online survey, where they can indicate if they would like to opt out of allocation to the RCS in Year 4.

Applications open: 27 May – 7 June (closing at 11pm)

Submit RCS Year 4 EOI - Domestic Students and International Students (Rockhampton only)

2025 – DDSW Learning Community EOI (Year 3 & 4)

In 2025, Year 2 GBCS Domestic Students have the opportunity to express interest in transferring to Clinical Schools and joining the Darling Downs - South West Learning Community for Years 3 & 4 of the MD Program (up to 40 students). 

This process is detailed in the Learning Community Allocation Guidelines – 2025 to be published on the website next week.  However, we summarise some important information below:

• The Medical School has determined operational requirements to administer an EOI process for students who would like to join the DD-SW pathway for the final 2 years of the MD program.
• The EOI is open from 20 May 2024 and closes by 11 pm, Friday, 31 May 2024
• Students wishing to express interest in being allocated to a DD-SW Learning Community (based at the Toowoomba Regional Clinical Unit) will be required to submit a written application and complete a brief survey (see link below).

 Applications open: 20 – 17 June (closing midday)

Submit DD-SW (Toowoomba) EOI - Year 3 and 4 (Domestic Students)

2025 – Wide Bay Learning Community preferencing (Year 3 & 4)

Wide Bay Learning Community students have the opportunity to preference a home base for Years 3 & 4 of their program in Hervey Bay or Bundaberg.  The preferencing process will include an opportunity to share why you would prefer a specific site and any special considerations or supporting documentation that we should be aware of.

This process will be detailed in the Rural Clinical School Allocation Guidelines – 2025 to be published on the website next week.  However, we summarise the key points below:

• To support student learning and clinical capacity there are between 10 – 18 placements available in each clinical unit.
• Students will be allocated to Hervey Bay or Bundaberg for Year 3 (2025) & Year 4 (2026) of the MD program.
• Preferencing outcome emailed to students on 3 June 2024
• If preferences for either clinical unit in the WB Learning Community exceed the operational range we will request volunteers to take up opportunities at the under-subscribed unit.
• If still unable to meet operational requirements a panel of RCS Executive will be convened to review preferencing statements and supporting documentation and allocate students
• Outcome will be released 17 June 2024

Complete the questionnaire and note your preference. This opportunity is open from 20 May 2024 and closes 11pm on Monday 27 May 2024.

Submit Wide Bay Learning Community preference - Year 3 and 4

Criteria and Ranking Process

Students wishing to express interest to be allocated to a RCS Clinical Unit will be required to submit an online application. If a student has listed an oversubscribed Clinical Unit as their first preference, they will be selected based on the below criteria. These criteria were developed in accordance with evidence-based indicators of a student's likelihood to practice rurally, as reported by the UQ Regional Training Hub Research Team.

For Year 4, 2025 if a student is not allocated to their first preference (i.e. at an oversubscribed RCS Clinical Unit), they will be allocated to their next available preference at an undersubscribed RCS Clinical Unit. If that student has not expressed interest in any other RCS Clinical Units, they will not be allocated to a RCS Clinical Unit (as part of the EOI allocation) and will be required to preference with the rest of the cohort in the main allocation round. Following finalisation of the EOI process, any remaining capacity at RCS Clinical Units will be allocated in the main allocation round.

NOTE: If a student is granted Special Consideration for allocation to an oversubscribed RCS Clinical Unit, they will be allocated to that RCS Clinical Unit and the number of spots available to EOI students will be reduced accordingly.

How to apply