We invite you to complete your internship at the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network based across Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network (FUNLHN) where an internship will set you up well for a rural generalist career with the potential to continue your PGY2+ years in a rural setting. This rural immersion intern experience will provide you with broad experiences across diverse clinical areas including emergency medicine, general medicine, general surgery and general practice. You will have opportunities to work with experienced healthcare teams under the personalised supervision of experienced rural clinicians, challenge yourself to gain valuable experience with hands-on procedural skills, and have access to learning opportunities including weekly junior doctor tutorials, simulation sessions, Journal Club and Grand Rounds.
Being a member of a small cohort of interns you will be able to embrace close working relationships with your junior and senior medical colleagues. The working culture within the Northern Training Network embraces teamwork and all team members are highly valued for the skills and knowledge they are able to contribute to patient care.
We invite you to become a valued member of the healthcare team in addition to the local communities in Port Augusta and Whyalla. This internship will set you up well for a rural generalist career and link into further opportunities in rural or specialist postgraduate training and work in Adelaide or rural locations.
Residents across the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network have access to a wide range of health care services in a various number of locations throughout the regions. This includes Port Augusta Hospital and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Whyalla Hospital and Health Service and a community based general practice,
Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network oversees the public hospitals and health services in the following regions across rural South Australia:
- Port Augusta Hospital
- Whyalla Hospital and Health Service
- Hawker Memorial Hospital
- Quorn Health Service
- Roxby Downs Health Service
The Port Augusta Hospital is a large country hospital, providing a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and outreach services. The hospital has 55 overnight stay inpatient beds, including five monitored beds. It also includes six low-risk chemotherapy chairs and 12 Renal Dialysis chairs. Port Augusta Hospital has a level 4 obstetric facility, where more complex patients are referred from other facilities.
Port Augusta Hospital provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) accident and emergency service, acute inpatient care, maternal and neonatal services, elective surgery, palliative, low-risk chemotherapy, renal dialysis and stepdown facilities for Aboriginal and out-of-town patients. Additional services located onsite are radiology, SA Pathology, clinical pharmacists and Allied Health Services. Hospital services are co-located with community health services.
Port Augusta Hospital is a teaching hospital with Trainee Medical Officers (general RMOs, Paediatric medicine, general surgery, Diploma of O&G (advanced) and a surgical intern) and Adelaide University Rural medical students spending their full fifth year based in Port Augusta.
The Port Augusta Hospital is a large country hospital, providing a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and outreach services. The hospital has 55 overnight stay inpatient beds, including five monitored beds. It also includes six low-risk chemotherapy chairs and 12 Renal Dialysis chairs. Port Augusta Hospital has a level 4 obstetric facility, where more complex patients are referred from other facilities.
Port Augusta Hospital provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) accident and emergency service, acute inpatient care, maternal and neonatal services, elective surgery, palliative, low-risk chemotherapy, renal dialysis and stepdown facilities for Aboriginal and out-of-town patients. Additional services located onsite are radiology, SA Pathology, clinical pharmacists and Allied Health Services. Hospital services are co-located with community health services.
Port Augusta Hospital is a teaching hospital with Trainee Medical Officers (general RMOs, Paediatric medicine, general surgery, Diploma of O&G (advanced) and a surgical intern) and Adelaide University Rural medical students spending their full fifth year based in Port Augusta
The RFDS clinic is available to all residents living, working and travelling in remote South Australia, including districts of the Flinders Ranges, Gawler Ranges, Birsdville Track and Far North, and the communities of Yalata and Oak Valley. Operating from the RFDS Port Augusta Base, the RFDS Primary health Care Service offers remote patients a complete range of primary health care services. Interns may attend retrievals and community visits during this rotation.
Whyalla Hospital and Health Service is a large country hospital, providing a wide range of services of inpatient, outpatient and outreach services. The hospital has 75 multi-day in-patient beds, including an eight-bed high dependency unit, six renal chairs, six moderate risk chemotherapy chairs, 21 same-day recovery beds, two operating and one endoscopy theatre and nine emergency department bays. Whyalla Hospital and Health Service is a level 3 obstetric facility. More complex patients are referred to the level 4 facility at Port Augusta.
Whyalla Hospital provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) accident and emergency services, acute inpatient care, maternal and neonatal services, elective surgery, renal dialysis, acute stroke, palliative, rehabilitation and orthotics/prosthetics service. There is a regional Cancer Centre providing medium risk chemotherapy and an integrated mental health inpatient unit onsite with specialist oncologist and resident psychiatrist. Additional services located onsite are radiology (including MRI), SA Pathology, clinical pharmacy and Allied Health Services.
Whyalla Hospital and Health Service is a teaching hospital with Trainee Medical Officers (adult medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, general RMOs and interns) and Adelaide University Rural medical students spending their full fifth year in Whyalla.
The trainee is a rural based intern, whose clinical terms are based across the Flinders and Upper North LHN and the Eyre and Far North LHN to ensure a high quality and AMC accredited training in a variety of disciplines. All interns have weekly tutorials and scheduled simulations sessions based in Whyalla and Port Augusta, with all interns being able to attend either in-person or via Teams if located in other locations across the training network. Interns are supported to be accommodated in provided shared accommodation in each site for the duration of their Internship programme.
Support for interns relocating to the region is provided by the Flinders and Upper North LHN Medical Education Unit based in Whyalla and TMO professional development by Regional Health SA.
There is a nominated supervisor for each rotation who will meet with junior doctors individually to provide feedback and conduct mid and end-of-term assessments. Supervisors are encouraged to give regular feedback to their junior doctors on a day-to-day basis and are given training and support to be able to provide this.
The Medical Education Unit has an open-door policy and junior doctors are encouraged to drop-in, telephone/Teams or email to discuss any issues or concerns. The DCT and MEO also arrange confidential appraisals, to be conducted in the middle of each rotation which is a formal opportunity to ask for support/advice, highlight any concerns, discuss career pathways and provide feedback about the training program.
All SA Health employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program as an additional source for confidential counselling and support. Contact information is available on the SA MET website.
Doctors’ Health SA is a not-for-profit, independent and profession-controlled organisation dedicated to improving the health of doctors and medical students for the good of the community.
Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network have accredited terms for Interns in core and non-core rotations:
- Emergency Medicine / Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) – based at Port Augusta
- General Surgery – Whyalla Hospital
- General Medicine – Whyalla Hospital
- General Practice – based at Bunyarra Clinic (Whyalla)
- Mental Health Inpatient Unit – Whyalla Hospital
The Medical Education Unit is responsible for orientation and coordination of the education program for junior doctors. The Medical Administration teams are responsible for rostering and ensuring that trainees are rostered in line with the SA Health Salaried Medical Officers Agreement (SMOEA) 2022.
Interns are rostered to work 76 hours per fortnight including weekends, with no requirement for night shifts in the intern year.
All hospitals are located approximately 1 km from the city centres with free secure staff parking available onsite. Some type of private transport is required as the cities are spread over quite a large area. Most locations are only 3–8 minutes away by car, 10–15 by bicycle. There are limited public transport systems in all locations.
This is an exciting opportunity in an established intern program which is planned for junior doctors to work, live and train across an enviable blend of medical, surgical, emergency, rural medicine and general practice. You will be awed by the dramatic events and vivid colours and textures that shapes these Northern Gulf Eyre and Spencer Gulf communities of South Australia.
Port Augusta is located 310 km north of Adelaide at the top of the Spencer Gulf. Port Augusta is a small city known as the crossroads because the Stuart Highway heads north to Alice Springs and Darwin, the Eyre Highway heads west to the Nullarbor and the Eyre Peninsula and the Princes Highway to the south leads to Adelaide. Port Augusta is also the gateway to the North and Central Flinders Ranges. Port Augusta has a various number of attractions which are enjoyed by residents and visitors whether fishing, sailing, hiking or visiting the city art galleries. With vivid scenery, small town charm, and distinctive mystic outback landscapes, there is a wide selection of year-round activities to discover.
The benefits of being on the Spencer Gulf is discovering rich Aboriginal heritage. Port Augusta is a small city with a diverse culture. Port Augusta has plenty of shopping opportunities, as well as sporting facilities such as the public swimming pool, golf course, bowling green and a state-of-the-art football oval. You can walk along sandy beaches or in leafy gardens, watch a movie, swim, shop or socialize in a café or bar. Live an enviable lifestyle with natural wonders, spectacular vista and beaches, unique one-of-a-kind experiences and great services.
With open spaces, wind and ocean make for many sports and activities. Unearth the Flinders Ranges, Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens, Pichi Richi Railway or walk along the Port Augusta’s scenic coastline on the coastal walk.
Whyalla is an important hub located on Eyre Peninsula’s Spencer Gulf in South Australia and is the region’s biggest city for retail shopping with excellent recreational, sporting and entertainment facilities. Whyalla boasts a warm climate, accessible ocean shores and saltwater fishing. Whyalla represents South Australia’s foremost combination of industrial and nature-based experiences. With vivid scenery, small city charm, distinctive mystic outback landscapes and year-round things to do, Whyalla offers discovery, unique Australian natural wonders and absolute contrast in nature based and industrial activities. Activities that are significant to the landscape and geography of the region that will enthral and gratify those looking to unearth and experience learning, adventure time and witness unrivalled sights and happenings.
Dive or snorkel and witness the camouflage and colourful mating rituals of Whyalla’s distinctive Giant Cuttlefish. Relax within the ocean and wonders of the unique Northern Coastline and beaches on the tranquil Spencer Gulf which are back dropped by the ancient Southern Flinders Ranges. Spectacular sunsets and shimmering horizons, unrivalled natural events and industry that strengthen the nation await the adventurous ready to unearth our earth’s raw essence up close.
For information about the intern application process, please refer to the SA Health Careers website.
Last updated: March 2023
