Welcome to the University Centre for Rural Health – North Coast. The UCRH has been coordinating student placements for the past ten years. The majority of our students have found their experience here to be highly valuable and many have said it has been the highlight of their education. 

The Northern Rivers with its pristine surfing beaches and rain forest hinterland is not only a very beautiful setting for the UCRH but we are also able to provide high quality rural training experiences for students in medicine and allied health. 

The UCRH places up to 700 students per year from 14 different universities. We are part of the Australian Rural Health Education Network, one of eleven university departments of rural health across Australia, which were developed in response to the rural workforce crisis. 

UCRH is a joint venture of the University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, University of Wollongong and Southern Cross University and we operate in collaboration with the Northern NSW Local Health Network and North Coast GP Network. 

Our footprint covers Grafton to NSW/Qld Border with coordinators based at Lismore, Murwillumbah and Grafton. 

Our aim is to provide high quality health professional education and placements in a rural setting based on strong partnerships and collaboration between the participating universities, local health service network and clinicians. Our long term goal is that students will return and practice in our area following their training.  While many of our students return to work on rural areas all of them develop a better understanding of the needs of rural communities.  We want to give students a strong grounding and appreciation of health care in a rural community.

Applying for  a Placement in the Northern Rivers

To apply for a placement in the Northern Rivers, you will need to complete an application form and provide copies of other documentation which is listed below and is a requirement of NSW Health.

Please note that incomplete applications are not assessed for placement availability until all required documentation is received.  Your placement is only confirmed once we assess your application, and an email will be sent to you to advise of this.

Please note a faxed copy or scanned copy of your documentation is acceptable.

Details required to complete an application

1. Completed application form;
2. Vaccination Records (For more information see NSW Health Website)
3. Clinical Placement Clearance Cards (Clinical Placement Clearance Card or National Police Check);
4. University student ID Card;
5. Completed Tuberculosis Assessment Form;
6. Completed Student Undertaking/Declaration.
7. Completed Hand Hygiene certificate

Further Information

For further information relating to your potential placement please download the attachment associated with the geographical area you are interested in or contact relevent student coordinator via contact form below.

Grafton

Lismore

Murwillumbah