The WACRRM was established in 1990 to promote the recruitment and retention of rural general practitioners in Western Australia and act as a focus for rural general practice.
Infrastructure: Budget of about $600,000 and a staff of 9 headed by the director of the rural training unit Dr. Brian Williams who is on the executive of the WA rural doctors association.
Outcomes: From 289 to 348 GP's in rural western Australia in ten years (1986-1996) Small one doctor towns remain hard to staff, and attrition in the number of physicians providing obstetric services remain as significant problems. WACRRM turn over rate remains at 20-30 (5-10%) a year.
Initiatives
1)High School Students - While Australian students with a rural background are 4 times as likely to work in rural medicine, rural students are less likely to apply to Medical school and are a third less likely to be admitted. To counter this academically able rural and aboriginal students can win a residential workshop that lets them get a taste of campus life and think about a career in medicine. This is supposed to raise the profile of the career option.
2)Affirmative action - 10 special Medical School positions are available for High School students with rural backgrounds who might otherwise lack the Tertiary Entrance Exam scores that would make them eligible for medical school. I am given to understand that these candidates are within 10% of the arbitrary TEE cut off score used for metropolitan students.
3)Rural Scholarships - AU $5,000/yr. for medical students who agree to provide return of service
4)Rural Undergraduate Experience - Medical Staff at WACRRM are involved in teaching and examination of medical students. Regional centers of 20,000 - 30,000 population allow 4th, 5th and 6th year medical students to experience life outside of Perth. Each center is overseen by a contracted rural GP who assists with supervision, teaching and maximizing the learning experience of the attachment.