About Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay is the hub of the Rural Clinical School's activities on the Fraser Coast. Hervey Bay is a rapidly growing regional centre with a population of slightly over 50,000. It is world renowned as the whale watching capital of Australia and as the gateway to World Heritage listed Fraser Island and receives around 1 million visitors each year with a large proportion of those being international backpackers. Miles upon miles of picture perfect beaches provide the foreground to the café and restaurant lined Esplanade. Clinical training places are available to MBBS Yr 3 & Yr 4 students who share their time between teaching sites at Hervey Bay and Maryborough.
Learning experience
The learning experience provided to MBBS students on the Fraser Coast is second to none. There are distinct advantages to students who choose to study here, such as state of the art clinical sites and low student to teacher ratios. The teaching is also provided at a very personal level by highly esteemed clinicians who ensure students receive a great deal of practical experience (e.g. average of 4 “scrub-ins” per week in surgery). Learning is also broadened and enhanced by the utilisation of the private health sector. St Stephen’s Private Hospital and Hervey Bay Surgical Centre both play key roles in student learning.
"We were warmly welcomed by doctors and other health professionals in Hervey Bay, and made to feel as though we had a role on the medical team. The teaching was of an excellent standard, and the tutorials from consultants were gold. I feel that I have become more confident in my interactions with patients and health professionals alike, and I have gained much procedural practice. Being in a smaller hospital meant that you could really get to know the people on the team, both professionally and socially, and this made for a very positive clinical experience" - Former Yr 3 Hervey Bay student.
Lifestyle experience
Hervey Bay has a large range of entertainment choices and offers students a variety of social, sporting and leisure opportunities to suit all lifestyles. From lazing on the beach or enjoying a coffee at a beachfront cafe to wilderness adventures on Fraser Island or enjoying the local nightlife with friends, there is something for everyone. The lifestyle experience for past students has been so positive that some students even return to the area to visit with close friends they met whilst studying here. Students also enjoy RCS provided accommodation in a modern settings, central to all the shopping and nightlife hotspots.
“The lifestyle in Hervey bay is very relaxed, a student can spend most of the day in the hospital, and still enjoy an hour or so on the beach in the late afternoon. There are numerous activities to pass the weekends and holidays, from simply enjoying the beach, to hiking over on Fraser Island. Overall I believe that my education has been vastly improved by my year here, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting more experience from their education” - Former Yr 3 Hervey Bay student.
Contact us
Student Coordinator
Susan Cooper
Address: Hervey Bay Hospital, Nissen Street, Hervey Bay, QLD 4655
Telephone: +61 7 4120 6814
Email: rcdswq@som.uq.edu.au
