Unique Kimberley immersion encourages contribution to rural and remote healthcare

Founded in 2006, The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Kimberley Remote Area Health Placement Program allows second-year medical students to engage with and learn from local residents across the Kimberley, helping to inform the care they provide once they commence their medical practice.

The program has had a positive impact on the critical shortage of doctors in the area with several Notre Dame students choosing to move to the Kimberley to complete their studies, and take up remote post-graduate opportunities, in some cases, moving to the Kimberley permanently.

The University’s Population and Preventive Health Domain Chair, Professor Donna Mak, said the Kimberley placement aims to provide an opportunity for the students to work in a meaningful way in non-clinical settings, while developing an understanding of life in remote Western Australia.

“The Kimberley placement is one of the University’s strategies aimed at graduating doctors who will contribute to rural and remote healthcare,” Professor Mak said.

“We hope this experience will broaden the students’ thinking about Australia’s diversity and challenge their ideas about health and healthcare. Many previous students have cited the immersion as a highlight of their medical education and acknowledge that it has directly influenced their decision to work in the Kimberley or in rural medicine.”

Dr Kamran Ahmed arrived in Broome three years ago spending time on a cattle station and completing his final two years of studies. He is currently an intern at Broome Regional Hospital and will begin his GP training in 2025.

“I’m very grateful that Notre Dame does this and hope they continue to do this program,” he said.

“The insights that I have gained and the connections that I have made have been invaluable to my career in the Kimberley and have helped me solidify a life and plan a future in the Kimberley and working rural. I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon.”

The immersion experience forms a vital part of the student’s medical education and seeks to give them an appreciation of the challenges and highlights of living in the Kimberley, as well as providing an appreciation of the spirit and resilience of people living in remote locations in Australia.

According to an Australia-first study led by the University of Notre Dame Australia, medical specialists who are given ample opportunity to train in rural areas are almost three times more likely to choose to work in the country after completing their training.

For those not choosing to live and work remotely, the program aims to educate future doctors to be empathetic and responsive to the needs of people living outside of the cities.

Kimberley Immersion 2024

In 2024, students spent several days of their visit as a group in Derby, where they enjoyed a marsh bonfire, participated in cultural education and local recreational activities such as fishing, painting, attending the annual mud-crab races, craft fair and rodeo in Derby.

Students also met with Notre Dame alumni who have moved to Broome and Derby to improve health outcomes for the community and make the most of the Kimberley lifestyle.

This video captures their experiences and explores how the program is encouraging young doctors back to the bush.