Yorke and Northern Local Health Network

The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network comprises multiple sites across the region and works collaboratively with General Practices to create quality educational experiences for junior doctors. Our sites include:

• Port Pirie Hospital
• Wallaroo Hospital
• Goyder’s Line Medical and Jamestown, Orroroo and Peterborough Hospitals
• Crystal Brook and Laura Medical Practices and Hospitals
• The Terrace Clinic, Port Pirie
• Clare Medical Centre and Clare, Burra and Snowtown Hospitals
• Kadina Medical Associates, Kadina
• Medical HQ Ardrossan, Maitland Hospital and Point Pearce Aboriginal Health Clinic

YNLHN Rural Doctor Program
The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network, Rural Doctor Program offers a range of primary care and hospital based clinical experiences across our region in picturesque locations such as Clare, Port Pirie, Jamestown, Crystal Brook, Kadina, Maitland and Wallaroo.
You will work closely with specialists, rural generalists, general practitioners and other health care providers in a multi-disciplinary team setting, allowing you to develop close relationships with colleagues and gain hands-on clinical experience in a supportive teaching environment. As part of a small cohort, you will benefit from individualised support provided by the Medical Education Team to assist you in smoothly transitioning from being a student to becoming a doctor.

The Yorke and Northern Local Health Network encompasses the Yorke Peninsula, Southern Flinders Ranges, the Mid North, and stunning Clare Valley Wine region. It is a beautiful and diverse area of South Australia. It comprises breathtaking national parks, walking trails, cycling, art and photography, outback camping, four-wheel driving adventures, swimming, snorkelling and a wealth of dining experiences including wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Most, within a two-hour drive from Adelaide!

The MEU encourage trainees to explore the region and integrate into communities, so we are committed to limited overtime, flexible working hours and a focus on wellbeing.

As the trial region for the RISE (Rural Integration and Social Inclusion) Program, junior doctors can access funding for experiences across the region, integration into sports and recreation clubs or associations for themselves and immediate family members.

Regional lifestyle

Interns have the opportunity to obtain a wide range of clinical experiences in emergency medicine, general practice, medical inpatients, anaesthetics, obstetrics, Aboriginal Health, environmental medicine, retrieval and emergency response medicine, surgical procedures and skin cancer medicine and aged care. All of which are in the context of rural and remote settings.

We provide a comprehensive educational program addressing the requirements of the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors (ACFJD). Formal teaching sessions include:

• A comprehensive orientation to the region and its health services, run from Port Pirie Hospital
• Weekly Intern Tutorial Program:
• Tutorial attendance is protected and paid time for junior doctors
• Program developed in collaboration with interns and term supervisors delivered by local and visiting specialists covering core skill requirements
• Additional training workshops presented by local and visiting specialists.
• Clinical simulation scenario-based workshops
• Regular wellbeing activities
• Organised lunch and learn sessions with peers.

Term rotations are supervised by experienced and approachable senior clinicians with a genuine interest in teaching and supervision. You will meet with your supervisor at the start of your rotation and complete your Personal Learning Objectives for the coming term. Your supervisor will support the meeting of these objectives and provide continual feedback throughout your rotation and together you will complete a mid-term (formative) and end of term (summative) assessments. In addition to your Term supervisor, you will have support from clinical supervisors who work within the clinic or ward.

The YNLHN Rural Doctor Program is supported by our Director of Clinical Training (DCT) and Medical Education Officer (MEO) who comprise the Medical Education Unit (MEU). The MEU is responsible for orientation, pastoral support and coordination of the education program and interns are encouraged to discuss any issues or concerns. During the year, the DCT and MEO will meet with you to receive your feedback on rotations and the teaching program and to discuss any concerns you would like to raise and discuss how we can assist you in your career pathway.

The YNLHN is a vast region, covering multiple regional communities and therefore the MEU is remotely based and will travel regularly for visit sites to check on the welfare of junior doctors and address any issues that arise.

When allocating rotations, intern rotation preferences and annual leave requests will be taken into consideration along with service requirements of the region. Every effort is made to ensure that rotations reflect the intern’s preferences, interest, and career direction.

Intern rotations within the region align to PGY2 rotations (4 x3 monthly rotations).

Intern Rotations for 2026

• Port Pirie Hospital, Emergency and Surgery
• Wallaroo Hospital, Emergency and Surgery
• Goyder’s Line Medical and Jamestown, Orroroo and Peterborough Hospitals
• Crystal Brook and Laura Medical Practices and Hospitals
• The Terrace Clinic, Port Pirie
• Clare Medical Centre and Clare, Burra and Snowtown Hospitals
• Kadina Medical Associates, Kadina
• Medical HQ Ardrossan, Maitland Hospital and Point Pearce Aboriginal Health Clinic

Interns are rostered to weekdays with the opportunity to participate with occasional on call shifts for small rural hospitals as negotiated with their supervisors. Overtime is strictly limited.

Minimal weekend and overnight shifts allows a balance of work and life during your intern year. Interns in YNLHN do not work service terms such as relieving.

YNLHN are offering remuneration packages in line with the SA Salaried Medical Officers Award with additional benefits including relocation and travel allowances. Accommodation and utilities will be provided at no cost to the intern for the first 6 months.

The YNRDP provides a full year training and skills experience for prevocational Doctors who have completed an internship and have general registration with the Medical Board of Australia.

We will have on offer 4 x PGY2+ positions in 2026 across the region. Prevocational Doctors will have 4 x 3-month rotations with supervision and training in accordance with the new AMC framework. There are a wide variety of positions available for prevocational doctors to select based on their interests and career objectives.

Rotations include:

• Emergency Medicine at either Wallaroo or Port Pirie Hospital where you will experience a wide variety of presentations in patients of all ages.
• Medical Inpatients at Wallaroo where you will care for a wide variety of patients of all ages and clinical problems.
• Obstetrics at Port Pirie Hospital.
• Surgery at Port Pirie Hospital assisting in daily surgical lists, pre-operative outpatient clinics and care of post operative patients.
• Surgery at Wallaroo Hospital assisting in daily surgical lists, pre-operative outpatient clinics and care of post operative patients.
• GP/Obstetrics at Kadina caring for a wide variety of presentations in general practice with a focus on Women’s Health.
• GP/ED/Procedural in Crystal Brook and nearby hospitals. There will be a mix of general practice, emergency medicine and inpatient care as well as involvement with anaesthetics, and obstetric care.
• GP/ED/Anaesthetics at Jamestown and neighbouring towns. Working with a team with a wide variety of skills in general practice and hospital medicine including anaesthesia and obstetrics.
• ED/Procedural based at Clare you will see a variety of emergency presentations, care for inpatients, attend surgical lists and be involved with anaesthesia.
• GP/Medical inpatients working at Port Pirie Terrace Clinic and seeing patients in the Port Pirie Medical Ward.
• Paediatrics split across both the Womens and Childrens Hospital and Port Pirie Emergency Department.
• Yorke Peninsula Aboriginal Health and Rural Medicine working across Maitland Hospital, Medical HQ Ardrossan and Point Pearce Aboriginal Health Clinic.

Term rotations are supervised by experienced and approachable senior clinicians with a genuine interest in teaching and supervision. You will meet with your supervisor at the start of your rotation and complete your Personal Learning Objectives for the coming term. Your supervisor will support the meeting of these objectives and provide continual feedback throughout your rotation and together you will complete a mid-term (formative) and end of term (summative) assessments. In addition to your Term supervisor, you will have support from clinical supervisors who work within the clinic or ward.

The YNLHN Rural Doctor Program is supported by our Director of Clinical Training (DCT) and Medical Education Officer (MEO) who comprise the Medical Education Unit (MEU). The MEU is responsible for orientation, pastoral support and coordination of the education program and junior doctors are encouraged to discuss any issues or concerns. During the year, the DCT and MEO will meet with you to receive your feedback on rotations and the teaching program and to discuss any concerns you would like to raise and discuss how we can assist you in your career pathway.

The YNLHN is a vast region, covering multiple regional communities and therefore the MEU is remotely based and will travel regularly for visit sites to check on the welfare of junior doctors and address any issues that arise.