The University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Rural Health is fully committed to leading the rural education of medical students in Australia. Funded by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing, the School was established in January 2000 in the Greater Murray Region of New South Wales (Greater Murray Clinical School). In February 2001 additional funding by the Federal Government established a Mid North Coast division of the School.

The aim of the School of Rural Health is to provide diversified educational offerings in rural health and medical practice. The belief is that the School will play an important role in assisting to deal with the recruitment and retention of medical practitioners to work in rural and remote areas of Australia.

The School of Rural Health complements the rural commitment of the UNSW which admits over 20% of its first year student intake from rural origin.
The establishment of the Rural Health Unit in 1997 and the Rural Student Entry Scheme, which saw 30 students selected into the first year intake in 2000, are two other examples of the commitment to rural programmes at UNSW.

Our aim of the School of Rural Health is clear. It is to provide education in rural health and medical practice and in so doing, we hope that the School will play an important role in helping to deal with the recruitment and retention of medical practitioners to work in rural and remote areas of Australia. Already, three new doctors, who had been offered jobs elsewhere, have decided to make the Greater Murray Area their home because of the School's presence. This short-term gain in medical practitioners will be further enhanced in the long term when our own students graduate and choose to stay and practice in the area.

School of Rural Health
Wagga Wagga Base Hospital (HQ)
PO Box 5695
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

Tel: +61 (2) 6933 5111
Fax: +61 (2) 6933 5100