Wagga Wagga Campus

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The Rural Clinical School Campus

The Rural Clinical School's administrative headquarters and Wagga Wagga teaching campus are located in Harvey House, within the grounds of the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. The School’s Wagga Wagga Campus accepts full time students in Years 4, 5 and 6 and short term students in Year 6. The School employs academic, administrative, research and IT support staff. Student accommodation is available on the Hospital site.

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Location

Located 470km south of Sydney and 435km north of Melbourne, Wagga Wagga is New South Wales’ largest inland city. Wagga is just two hours drive from Canberra, and a one hour flight from Sydney or Melbourne.

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The City

With a population of approximately 60,000 Wagga Wagga has all the benefits of a modern centre, without the stress of urban living. At the Wagga Wagga Campus, students have access to two first-class hospital facilities where they have the opportunity to observe medicine in a regional setting as well as visiting surrounding smaller centres to see the health needs particular to a rural community.

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Attractions and Recreational Activities

Wagga Wagga is also home to the main campus of Charles Sturt University, which trains nurses, medical scientists, pharmacists and nutritionists. Wagga has a large airbase and military training centre.

Wagga Wagga offers an active lifestyle in a relaxed atmosphere. Residents enjoy quality dining, with regional gourmet foods and wine, as well as a broad range of entertainment and shopping. The local theatres put on many plays, some locally produced, some on tour, and there are a number of art galleries including the National Glass Art Gallery.

Known as the ‘City of Good Sports’, Wagga Wagga offers year round sporting activities for locals and visitors. Students can join local teams in golf, tennis, cricket, netball, soccer, Australian rules and rugby, athletics and hockey. Summer activities include fishing, jetskiing, sailing, canoeing, rowing and kayaking in the surrounding rivers, lakes and dams. In winter, Mount Selwyn and the Kosciuosko National Park attract skiers and snowboarders and all year round there are bushwalking, camping, indoor rock climbing, bike riding activities and Murrumbridgee River Cruises.

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Clinical Experience

Wagga Wagga Base Hospital is a 220 bed acute regional hospital and has specialists in most disciplines (Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Anaesthetics, ENT, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Ophthalmology). The Emergency Department is a well-designed and equipped unit with staff specialists. Wagga Wagga is also home to the privately managed Calvary Hospital and Calvary Day Procedure Centre, as well as the Riverina Cancer Care Centre.

Approximately twenty general practitioners in seven clinics in Wagga Wagga, take students into their practices and introduce them to the patients they are to study. Dedicated academics are on hand to offer support and information, with one-on-one teaching provided by the numerous clinicians associated with the school. Details of the Wagga Wagga and district GP clinics can be found on the Riverina Division of General Practice Website and on the Coast City Country Registrar Training Website.

The Wagga Wagga Campus offers a large range of patients who are happy to see students and help them to learn. As part of the program, selected patients allow students to follow them through their treatment, so students can see the complete process of patient care.

Students also have the opportunity to study a wide range of specialities in the regional centres. As well as studying with GPs, there are fifty specialists available including practitioners in general surgery; vascular surgery; orthopaedics; obstetrics and gynaecology; medical imaging; pathology; oncology; ophthalmology; paediatrics; ear, nose and throat; anaesthetics; psychiatry; urology; cardiology; neurology and geriatrics.

Phase 3

The Phase 3 programme consists of 10 modules – Medicine, Surgery, Children’s Health, Women’s Health, Mental Health, Primary, two Selectives, one Elective and PRINT (pre intern). Also included during this programme is four weeks of Critical Care and Emergency. All of these modules are provided at the Wagga Wagga Campus. The programme is undertaken over a two year cycle. Medicine and Surgery is completed in Year V in combination with the Bio Medical Sciences module.

Year V students undertake a combined Medicine/Surgery in STP and TP1 and continue this in TP2 as part of their Selective Term. Students are divided in two groups with one undertaking Children’s Health in TP2 followed by Women’s Health in TP4.
The second group undertakes a combined Primary Care and Psychiatry term for TP3 and TP4. Students undertaking this term have the opportunity to continue at the Wagga Wagga Campus or take part in the Longitudinal Clinical Placement Programme.

The Longitudinal Clinical Placement Programme is an integrated Primary Care and Psychiatry term where students are attached to a General Practice in Cootamundra, Gundagai or Tumut for sixteen weeks. Students return to the Wagga Wagga Campus for two days once a fortnight for combined teaching. Five study days are held where the Campus Coordinator, staff and remaining Yr5 students placed at Wagga visit one of the placement site.. Excellent accommodation is provided at no cost to students at all sites and there is travel reimbursement available.

During the medical and surgical rotation students may have an attachment at the Griffith Base Hospital.. The Wagga Wagga Campus has a long term arrangement with the hospital and students are very welcome. Students can gain experience in Emergency, Medicine, Surgery and Paediatrics whilst in Griffith. Excellent accommodation is provided at no cost along with travel reimbursement.

Student’s progress to Year VI undertaking modules they have not completed in Year V this will then take them up to their final exams. PRINT will then follow, to complete the Medicine programme.

The Wagga Wagga campus has a team of enthusiastic tutors and excellent teaching facilities. This, coupled with well organised administrative staff, guarantees a worthwhile experience for students who elect to come for Phase 3.

The aim in Phase 3 is to give students as much exposure to clinical experience as possible leading up to their graduation and starting work as Interns.

For further information on Phase 2, Phase 3 or the Independent Learning Project students should contact the Head of Campus or representative on (02) 6933 5111.

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Library and Computer Facilities

The hospital library and computer lab, located within the Clinical School, are available for student use during Clinical School business hours. The library area (including some computers, a printer and the photocopier) is also available after hours. Students have full access to all UNSW library facilities through the hospital library and the UNSW computers located within the library. The librarian can assist with requests for specific material.

Students have unrestricted use of the computers, including Internet use and the ability to print from the computers. All computers have Office 2000 Professional installed. Photocopying facilities are also available in the library with copy cards available for purchase at the Hospital Cashier's Office.