The Extended Clinical Placement Program (ECPP) is a longitudinal integrated program administered by the BHUDRH in close conjunction with three partner universities.

Up to 11 medical students from the University of Adelaide, University of Sydney and University of Wollongong, have the opportunity to spend up to 40 weeks in Broken Hill. Each group have different core curriculum requirements and a variable amount of input from their home university. 

Photo used with permission

Tutorials are delivered on site and through hub link-ups; there is certainly value to be gained from cross-pollination across the groups. In particular, all students will join up for shared teaching on a Thursday afternoon; some of this is interdisciplinary as part of our ENRICH program and will provide unique perspectives of rural and remote healthcare. Other aspects of the program will be unique to your own university program – you will be advised of these. 

As senior medical students, you are expected to be active learners. You are required to be proactive and alert to the opportunities that present themselves within your learning environment. It is advisable that you make yourself well known to staff within local health facilities. You must familiarise yourself with all learning opportunities in your site, and ensure that others are aware of your enthusiasm and eagerness to be notified and involved in learning opportunities as they present. At the same time, you are expected to be respectful and mindful of the needs of others, including clinicians, staff and patients. 

During the time you are here in Broken Hill, you will have approximately one day per week in the General Practice setting with a preceptor and the opportunity to parallel consult. This may also be available in the specialist clinics you attend. 

Adelaide students will have ward placements in Women’s health, Children’s health and General and Elderly Medicine. Sydney students have placements in Medicine and Surgery. Wollongong spend the majority of their time in ED but also some weeks on Medicine and Surgery. 

Out of hours we expect you to make yourself available for some on-call duties each week to experience the different patient case-mix that presents in the evening and weekends. 

All of the students will have a four-week remote placement during their time here; Menindee and Wilcannia provide GP and community hospital placements where you will be exposed to many opportunities to be involved in the assessment and management of patients 200-500km away from Broken Hill. 

We believe the experience offered by the ECPP is unique, in part due to the rural setting, in part because of the pathology you will see in a variety of different patient groups and the relationship between primary and secondary care.

Throughout the year we also offer elective placements to students from other medical schools, including UNE, Newcastle, UNSW, Melbourne and Monash. They tend to have four-week placements in ED, Medicine or Surgery and remote settings. We trust you will make them feel welcome and show them around. 

Sporting and Social activities

Most students are involved in local sports teams – netball, AFL, cricket, tennis and cycling. There is also a 50 metre outdoor pool open from October to April with an indoor 25 metre pool next door. There are two horseracing meetings a year – St. Pat’s in March and the Silver City Cup in October; several charity black tie balls are also held. 

Placement Enquiries

If you would like to find out more about an ECPP placement based in Broken Hill, please contact your university lecturer or the BHUDRH program coordinator Laura Mallon. 

Phone: 08 8080 1200