Regions
Grampians

Grampians

Whether you’re a wine taster, outdoor explorer or food lover, the Grampians has an adventure waiting for you. With four diverse patches that you can uncover, your paths for discovery are endless. In the heart of it all is the magnificent Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park.

Life in the Grampians

Watch: Explore life in the Grampians in the Victorian Rural Generalist Program

Grampians Lifestyle

Food, coffee, wineries, thermal springs, forests, wildflowers, wildlife, galleries, rock art, hiking, climbing, camping, waterfalls, scenery, history, culture, architecture – what can't you do or see in the Grampians? Space, quiet, fresh air, less pollution, less traffic, less commuting, less stress – why wouldn't you want to live here?

The Grampians region offers almost everything you would find in a regional or metro city, and anything you are craving is probably only an hour away.

Come and be welcomed into a region that values and supports you in your career and lifestyle choices.

Our Training Program

The Grampians VRGP is the only medical training program to partner with regional, rural, public and private health services within a region, and provides clear pathways, partnerships and protected clinical rotations for career progression. The strong relationships between partner health services facilitates increased and diverse experiences, education and networking, while the smaller cohort within the Grampians program enables individualised support, rotation management and planning, and a tailored educational and training experience for trainees and their families.

RG1

Grampians RG1 core rotations are completed at East Grampians Health Service (EGHS) in Ararat, Maryborough District Health Service and St John of God Hospital in Ballarat. Our innovative program includes both public and private health sectors, and also offers a General Practice rotation in one of our three partner clinics: the Clarendon Medical Centre and Nightingale Clinic in Maryborough, and the Ararat Medical Centre.

Education time is protected, and provided both by the Grampians Intern Training Program and in partnership with Ballarat Health Services, enabling strong networking and relationship development, which provides pathways into RG2 rotations and employment.

RG2

The Rural Generalist Hospital Medical Officer (RGHMO) role at EGHS consolidates the rural community experiences obtained during General Practice and or Surgical rotations in Ararat. The RGHMO role clarifies the role of a Rural Generalist: seeing patients in the GP clinic, providing care in the hospital, Urgent Care Centre (UCC) and Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs).

The RGHMO role builds on the learning and knowledge of the Intern year, and enables this to be put into practice with greater confidence and autonomy, in a hospital environment with GPs you know and who will support you.

Pathways in development

EGHS partners with Ballarat Health Service to provide RG2 contracts, paediatric rotations, and to facilitate RGHMO rotations to EGHS. EGHS has strong relationships with all the Grampians rural health services, including plans to create additional RGHMO roles, facilitate RG2 rotations to GP clinics, and develop additional advanced training (RGA) positions in procedural skills including Obstetrics, Anaesthetics, Emergency, Paediatrics, Palliative Care and Psychiatry.

Grampians RG Coordinator

Contact for further information: Kim Lane | grampians@vicruralgeneralist.com.au

"Being part of the VRGP has done wonders for my career. I’ve been exposed to clinical and professional encounters early on that I don’t think I would have seen had I been working in a metropolitan area or as a non-RG trainee. I’ve been able to be part of the action, make fantastic professional and personal networks and I know I’ll be back again for more."

Dr Daniel Wilson

"I have been blown away by the experiences available to me as an Intern on this program. Ultimately, I feel supported by a great team of doctors, nurses, allied health and non-clinical staff to increasingly develop my responsibility for patients and become part of the community I am working in."

Dr Meghan Ellis

"Working in a rural hospital early in my career has been excellent, affording me hands-on experience with a wide range of presentations and procedural skills that I might have otherwise missed. The VRGP has also been extremely supportive, by helping me secure desirable rotations, and facilitating high-quality ongoing education and training."

Dr Angus McCormack

Available Placements

Use this interactive map to learn about the health services and general practices within the Grampians region.