ACT Health and Southern NSW Local Health District have developed a unique opportunity for Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) to complete part or all of their Internship at South East Regional Hospital (SERH) Bega or secondment for part of the year at Goulburn Base Hospital (GBH).

If you are interested in one of these rural Internships, simply contact the Canberra Hospital and Health Service Medical Officer Support, Credentialing, Employment and Training Unit on 6244 2779 to express interest.

All information on the ACT Internships can be found on the ACT Health website.

In NSW, the general Internship application program is called the Prevocational Training Application Program (PTAP) and is managed by a NSW Health unit called the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI). This process categorises Networks in order of preference, and undertakes an “optimised preference program” using an algorithm that places students by merit. Through the algorithm (which is used for the main round offers and direct regional allocation) students are offered position not based on merit but on their preferences and priority system. Similar to the ACT, NSW gives preference to graduates from their universities. To see where you would be ranked in the system please refer to the HETI website.

It is important to note that this priority system is not as significant for rural Internships under the Rural Preferential Recruitment (RPR) pathway. Here, recruitment is 'merit based', in that selection is predominately based on performance in an interview. However, Category 1 and 2 applicants will be offered positions before to Category 3. You can apply for these positions through the PTAP website and ring the RPR team on 02 9844 6562 with any further questions about this processes or email at HETI-Internship@health.nsw.gov.au . 

Hospitals eligible for the RPR are:

• Albury Wodonga Health
• Coffs Harbour Health Campus
• Dubbo Base Hospital
• Lismore Base Hospital
• Manning Rural Referral Hospital
• Orange Health Service
• Port Macquarie Base Hospital
• Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital
• The Maitland Hospital
• The Tweed Hospital
• Wagga Wagga Base Hospital
• Broken Hill Health Service

Remember also that NSW based Internships are also available at Bega and Goulburn managed through ACT Health, please contact us for more information.

All WA Internship placements are managed by the Postgraduate Medical Council of WA (PMCWA) via the centralised Intern application process. These contracts are often 3 years to encourage stability and retention. Please contact PMCWA to discuss questions relating to the recruitment process.

As of 2019, it is possible to complete the full Internship year in one of two WA country locations; Albany Health Campus or Bunbury Hospital.

There are also rotations available for Interns employed at some Perth metropolitan hospitals (Fiona Stanley Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital or Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital). The locations and durations of these rotations vary, therefore we recommend applying directly to WA Country Health Service (WACHS) as the primary employer on 6553 0925 or email meu@health.wa.gov.au..

Residency

The Community Residency Program (CRP) is a short-term training placement available to Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) in a variety of rural settings across WA. The CRP is coordinated by the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and applications are made through the centralized RMO application process. During the placement RMOs spend a minimum of 20 per cent of their time in a community setting such as hospital GP clinics, Royal Flying Doctor Service and other outreach clinics. In 2021, towns on the CRP include (subject to change):  

• Kimberley: Kununurra and Derby
• Pilbara: Port Hedland and Karratha
• Midwest: Geraldton
• Wheatbelt: Narrogin
• Goldfields: Esperance and Kalgoorlie

In Victoria, Internships are coordinated via the Postgraduate Medical Council Victoria (PMCV). Through a computer matching system you nominate hospital preferences through PMCV. In addition, you must address specific selection criteria via each nominated hospitals own website.

PMCV have a priority ranking system based on which state you have trained. However, if applying for an Internship in rural Victoria it is possible to apply for special consideration which may improve you priority rank by one position. To apply for this benefit, a special consideration request form should be submitted through the PMCV system. Special consideration are for those with a connection to the area and clear rural intention.

For rural Internships, you can nominate to join the Rural Community Intern Training (RCIT) program. Here, Interns considering a career in rural general practice can undertake the majority of their training in a range of smaller rural health settings. Applications to the RCIT program are made through the PMCV computer matching system. The RCIT program is organised by 5 separate programs for 4 distinct regions of Victoria.

The following RCIT programs are accredited by PMCV:

• South West Community Intern - Warrnambool, Camperdown, Hamilton, Portland, Lismore and Macarthur
• Grampians Rural Community Intern program – Ballarat, East Grampians Health Service, Maryborough, Arat
• East Gippsland Community Based Intern program - Sale and Bairnsdale
• Murray to Mountains Intern Program - Wangaratta, Wodonga, Yarrawonga, Cobram, Mt Beauty, Falls Creek, Benalla, Bright & Mt Hotham, Numurkah and Nathalia.
• Echuca Intern Network - Echuca

Microsoft Word - HHSD 19 130602 HHSW - Medical Workforce - Victorian Rural Generalist Program - Rural Generalist Intern Year - 2020 Fact Sheet.DOCX (health.vic.gov.au)

Contracts through SA Health are organized by South Australian Medical Education and Training (SAMET). There are four Local Health Networks in South Australia where you may undertake your Intern year. During this year you may request, or be required, to undertake one or more rotations in any of SA Health's accredited Intern posts.

• Country Health South Australia Local Health Network (CHSALHN) - Adelaide hills, Barossa, Eyre Peninsula, Western SA, Far North, Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Limestone Coast, Murray Mallee, Yorke and Mid North.
• Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN)- Lyell McEwin and Modbury Hospital
• Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN)- Flinders Medical Centre and Noarlunga Hospital
• Central Adelaide Local Health Network- Royal Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Rural options in SA are available in Whyalla and Mt Gambier. There is also an opportunity to negotiate a 2 or 3 year contract after your Internship, and complete an advanced skills year in Emergency Medicine at Mount Gambier.

Through the normal application process, you either nominate Whyalla or Mt Gambier as your first preference. This places you on the rural Intern pathway. Your application will be reviewed and if you are shortlisted you will be asked to attend an interview. Offers are made based on merit and rural intent. The category system does not apply in this process. The SA Intern Information pack provides all the details, please call SAMET on 08 8226 7231 with any questions.

The Intern application process is managed by NT Medical Education and Training Centre (NTMETC) through a central allocation of eligible applicants. All applications are categorized by merit and a lengthy (seven categories) priority ranking applies to all allocations including rural positions. The majority of these places are designated for NT bonded students and therefore places are fairly competitive.  There are no separate application processes for rural rotations. RDH and ASH are the primary allocation centers and Interns can rotate to other rural locations from these facilities. Please refer to the accreditation status table which outlines the specific terms available rurally (Gove, Katherine and Tennant Creek). Intern positions are allocated within the two NT Health Services:

• Top End Health Service (TEHS) - Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Gove District Hospital, Katherine District Hospital
• Central Australia Health Service (CAHS) - Alice Springs Hospital (ASH), Tennant Creek Hospital

Following submission of applications, the interview process and offers of employment will be organised by the individual health service. More positions may be available in the future with the opening of the Palmerston hospital in 2018.

Applications to Tasmania are made through a state wide online portal available through the Department of Health and Human Services. During this process you will be asked to preference three hospitals:

• North West Regional Hospital
• Launceston General Hospital
• The Royal Hobart Hospital

There are no separate rural application processes however each hospital has rural non-core primary care rotations available (13 weeks). In 2018, these were;

• Queenstown and King island through North West Regional Hospital
• Hounville from Royal Hobart
• Flinders island and St Helens from Launceston

Please refer to the Postgraduate Medical Council of Tasmania (PMCT) website for all the accredited terms available.

Applications will be shortlisted based on the priority ranking of Tasmanian Health Service. If shortlisted you will undergo an interview process where successful applications will be placed in order of merit. Interview scores will account for 70% of the overall score and each referee report accounting for 15%.

Please contact PMCT on medical.recruitment@ths.tas.gov.au and 0448 003 439.