Express Interest

The South West Region is a rich farming area with a breathtaking coastline, national parks, picturesque towns, Aboriginal cultural heritage sites and strong community engagement.

The region stretches from Geelong to Colac and out to the Great Ocean Road, where the waterfront city of Warrnambool and the historic town of Port Fairy can be found.

Life in the South West

Watch: Explore life in the South West in the Victorian Rural Generalist Program

South West Lifestyle

Well-known for its beautiful beaches and rivers, the South West offers a relaxed lifestyle all year round – whether it’s swimming or surfing or fishing from the many historic wharves. There are national parks for the enthusiastic hiker or those after a gentle nature walk.

Tourism has brought vital infrastructure with transport links by rail, road, port and airports.

The region's fertile plains have a reputation for producing superior food and wine you can sample at great local cafes and restaurants.

There are excellent art galleries and performing arts centres and a wide range of indoor and outdoor sporting facilities. Popular events include whale watching, the Port Fairy Folk Festival and the May racing carnival.

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Our Training Program

We offer an innovative training program with a focus on rural and community medicine. The aim is to create sustainable medical training in South West Victoria. Support is provided with tutorials, case presentations, and education in association with the Western Victoria Rural Training Hub.

Dedicated training support and mentorship is provided for a hands-on training approach in the larger hospital centres, with the opportunity to rotate out to local GP practices in the RG1 and RG2 years, working alongside experienced Rural Generalists in the region.

RG1

RG1 trainees complete their core rotations at South West Healthcare. Elective rotations include Rehabilitation Medicine/GP, Geriatric Medicine, Oncology and Psychiatry. GP experience in Rehabilitation Medicine includes parallel consulting at Western Region Alcohol and Drug Centre. There are two South West Indigenous Community Internship Program (SWICIP) positions involving a 12-month part-time (two days/week) placement in a GP clinic at a regional Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation. Formal education includes weekly protected Intern tutorials, inter-professional clinical simulation sessions, unit meetings, journal clubs, case presentations and medical imaging meetings.

RG2

RG2 positions are based at South West Healthcare Warrnambool with rotations available in Paediatrics, Geriatric Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine, General Medicine, Emergency Medicine and General Surgery, with the opportunity to rotate out to Portland District Health South West Healthcare Camperdown campus and GP clinic rotations in Warrnambool. Education and support is provided in partnership with the Western Victoria Rural Training Hub and regional training programs.



Pathways in development

The South West Region offers pathways in Anaesthetics, Paediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Palliative Care, Adult Internal Medicine, Aboriginal Health and Mental Health. .

The region works closely with Deakin University in Geelong and Warrnambool and the Warrnambool Deakin Medical School. Collaboration with the Deakin University Western Victorian Regional Training Hub and GP Colleges RACGP & ACRRM add a holistic support structure to the pathways offered in the South West region.


South West RG Coordinator

For further information contact: Anna Dyson | south.west@vicruralgeneralist.com.au

"My current workload is a mixture of General Practice and Emergency Medicine. With the help of the VRGP I was able to create a position in Emergency to meet a specific need, and allow me to continue to consolidate my ED skills while working primarily in General Practice. Having a local coordinator is a huge benefit as she directly liaises with local teams for my training and combines this with the community's medical needs."

Dr Stefanie Hammond, ACRRM RG Registrar 2021

"South West Healthcare Warrnambool has felt like the right place to be from the morning I started. It’s big enough that you get the volume and variety you need as a junior starting out, but small enough that you don’t get lost in the system, and you feel like what you’re doing makes a difference."

Dr Shane Richards 2019

Available Placements

Use this interactive map to learn about the health services and general practices within the South West region.

South West Map