The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) supports approximately 70,000 people living in the Riverland, and the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong areas of South Australia, extending east to the Victorian Border.
This includes the towns and surrounds of Renmark, Paringa, Berri, Barmera, Waikerie, Loxton, Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Karoonda, Mannum, Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Meningie, Tintinara and Coonalpyn.
Our wide range of health care services include, accident and emergency, day and inpatient surgery, Aboriginal health, mental health, obstetric services, chemotherapy, renal dialysis services, community and allied health services and aged care services.
Intern experiences will be based at the Riverland General Hospital in Berri and the surrounding general practice clinics, RMCLHN aged care facilities and RMCLHN hospitals.
About Riverland General Hospital (RGH) RGH provides a comprehensive range of medical and surgical services to patients from across the Riverland and surrounding communities including the Mallee.
Patients may commence their stay at Riverland General Hospital but finish their care at one of the neighbouring Riverland hospitals with specialist medical or allied health input when required. All hospitals in the Riverland work collaboratively to support the patient care needs of the region.
The hospital is collocated with the following services:
Visit the RGH webpage to find out more about services and facilities.
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.
You are invited to complete your internship through the Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE) at RMCLHN.
Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence
RACE is a multidisciplinary division within RMCLHN that was created to deliver on our commitment to take responsibility for training our own clinical workforce, creating and improving relevant evidence bases for our clinical practice, and bringing the benefits of integrated teaching, research and clinical care to the communities in our region.
Based on 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 Trainee Medical Officer (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.
RACE Training Pathway
RMCLHN was the first regional Local Health Network to pilot the Single Employer Model (SEM). We listened to medical students and junior doctors around the country who wanted a secure single-employer contract for the duration of their training, who wanted 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 Riverland towns that have been the home of the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum for more than 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.
The RMCLHN Director of Clinical Training, Medical Education Officer, and Medical Education Support Officer make up the Medical Education Team who are located onsite at RGH.
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 commencing 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, 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 mid fidelity manikins.
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 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.
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 the 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 Medical Education Unit is responsible for rostering and ensuring trainees are rostered in line with the SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Enterprise Agreement (SMOEA) 2022.
The Medical Education Unit is responsible for orientation, pastoral support and coordination of the education program for trainee doctors at RGH.
Other Information
Interns are rostered to work 8.5-hour shifts which 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 has to 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 hours with some ability to undertake optional overtime with cover shifts at RGH.
PGY2+
PGY2+ opportunities are available across the Riverland Mallee Coorong Region including Murray Bridge and Mannum. For more information on PGY2+ please visit:
