We invite you to complete your internship at Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN). Riverland residents have access to a wide range of health care services throughout a number of locations in the Riverland area. Riverland General Hospital (RGH) in Berri is part of the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network. We provide acute medical services including specialist internal medicine, surgical, obstetric, and anaesthetic and emergency services delivered by Consultants and Physicians. RGH is the major regional health provider for the Riverland area with other facilities located in nearby Renmark, Barmera, Loxton and Waikerie.
The Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE) articulates the ambition of the Riverland Mallee Coorong LHN to be a centre of excellence in rural health – teaching, research and innovative clinical care. It is the next exciting step in a long-term commitment to medical education in our region.
Based on an Aboriginal holistic understanding of health and integrating hospital and general practice training at all levels with a broad range of contemporary training in advanced skills, it is a one-stop-shop for career advancement in general practice and rural generalism. The Academy TMO program is also excellent preparation for other specialty training programs and includes opportunities to advance your career through becoming part of local and international research and education networks.
We have listened to medical students and junior doctors around the country who want a secure single-employer contract for the duration of their training, who want to be able to choose to live in one place if they wish, and who want flexibility for part-time employment. All of this in supportive communities where you have meaningful work while you learn.
Our Academy Intern Program is based in the small Riverland towns that have been the home of the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum for 25 years. New GPs and other specialists have brought an exciting culture of ‘can-do together’ to the region. Accommodation support is provided in Berri, or you can choose to establish yourself in the town of your choosing, knowing that our teaching towns are all within easy reach, and a five-year contract provides you the opportunity to plan your unique life and learning future.
RGH services and facilities include:
- Emergency Department including two resuscitation rooms, multiple treatment bays, isolation room and a separate paediatric room.
- 38 multiday bed Unit
- 6 bed Mental Health in-patient Unit
- 3 Operating Theatres
- 5 chair Chemotherapy Unit
- 4 chair Renal Dialysis Unit
- Pre-Admission Clinics
- 11 Outpatient Consulting Suites
- 4 bed Emergency Extended Care Unit
Co-located at the Hospital site are the following services:
- SA Pathology
- SA Pharmacy
- South Australian Dental Services
- Country Health Connect
- Flinders University Rural Health SA
The RMCLHN Director of Clinical Training, Medical Education Officer and Medical Education Support Officer make up the Medical Education Team and are located onsite in the RGH building.
The RMCLHN Medical Education Unit provides a comprehensive education program addressing the requirements of the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors (ACFJD).
Formal teaching sessions include:
- A one-week orientation to the hospital prior to the commencement of the internship.
- An Intern Tutorial Program.
- Regular Journal Clubs in a small group learning environment for Psychiatry and public health.
- Ground Rounds each month with National and International guest speakers and other training workshops presented by local and visiting specialists and RGH Clinical Directors.
- Clinical simulation scenario-based workshops conducted a minimum four times per year in which Interns will have paid, protected time to attend with access to SimMan.
- Regular teaching rounds.
There is a nominated supervisor for each rotation who will meet with trainee doctors individually to provide feedback and conduct mid and end-of-term formative assessments. Supervisors are also encouraged to provide day-to-day / regular feedback.
The RMCLHN Medical Education Unit has an open-door policy where trainee doctors are encouraged to drop-in to discuss any issues. The RMCLHN Director of Clinical Training and the Medical Education Officer also arrange confidential appraisals that are held in the middle of each rotation as a formal opportunity to ask for advice or support, or to highlight concerns. They are also available to discuss career pathways and receive your feedback about the training program.
All SA Health employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program as an additional source for confidential counselling and support.
Doctors’ Health SA is a not-for-profit, independent and profession-controlled organisation dedicated to improving the health of doctors and medical students for the good of the community.
RGH has accredited core terms for interns in General Medicine, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine and non-core rotations may include Aged Care in General Practice and Relieving. The General Practice terms are based in nearby Berri Medical Clinic, Barmera Medical Clinic and Renmark Medical Clinic.
When allocating rotations, intern rotation preferences and annual leave requests will be taken into consideration along with the number of available positions and the service requirements of the hospital. Every effort is made to ensure that rotations reflect the intern’s preferences, interest and career direction. The RMCLHN Medical Education Unit is responsible for rostering and ensuring that trainees are rostered in line with the SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement (SMOEA) 2022.
The RMCLHN Medical Education Unit is responsible for orientation, pastoral support and coordination of the education program for trainee doctors at RGH.
Interns are rostered to work 8.5 hour shifts and includes time for a meal break. The rosters are designed to enable all Interns to have a great work-life balance and enjoy what the Riverland region can offer. Leave requests are made to the Medical Education Team and interns are encouraged to plan their leave as early as possible in the year. Average hours per fortnight are 76-80 with some ability to undertake optional overtime with cover shifts at the Riverland General Hospital.
SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement 2022 here
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) registration standards here
Warm dry summers and relatively mild winters make it possible to take full advantage of life, all year round, in one of the most beautiful, naturally diverse regions in Australia.
The Riverland provides abundant opportunities for you to explore and craft your own way of life. The landscapes, river and meandering backwaters. The people, the produce, and the sense of regional pride and community spirit make this a place you’ll want to call home. Lake Bonney is a large freshwater lake in the centrally located Barmera township, another Riverland haven for water sports, fishing, kayaking and world-famous sunsets.
Residential property prices are substantially lower than the South Australian median and offer a mix of building and construction styles. Choose from wonderful old stone villas with large rooms, tall chimneys and high ceilings, or ultra-modern, open-plan, energy efficient spaces. You can also take advantage of the region’s buoyant housing construction industry and build your dream home.
Each major town has a vibrant retail area, from the charm of traditional main street precincts filled with small local businesses, through to modern plaza style shopping centres with multi-national retailers and major supermarkets.
Local farmer’s markets, together with the many roadside produce stalls scattered throughout the region, offer an impressive array of locally-grown fresh fruit and vegetables. Hotels, clubs, restaurants, cafes and take-away outlets are shaping an emerging vibrant food and wine scene.
We have a strong sporting culture, with multiple turf ovals, golf courses, tennis courts, bowling greens, netball courts, stadiums, recreation centres and swimming pools across the region. Other recreational opportunities abound, including bushwalking, fishing, boating and water-skiing.
The region has a community spirit to be proud of. The quality of life is greatly enhanced with the countless volunteer opportunities that make many of our regional events, activities and services possible. There’s a host of avenues for social interaction and community involvement, and new faces are always welcome.
For information about the intern application process, please refer to the SA Health Careers website.
Last updated: March 2024
