A career that goes further: become a Flying Doctor
As a Rural Generalist with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, no two days are the same. From emergency response to specialist care, you’ll make a meaningful difference in the lives of people across rural and remote communities.
What is a Rural Generalist?
A rural generalist is a medical practitioner that works in rural areas utilising general practice, emergency and other medical specialist skill sets matched to the needs of the local community they serve.
The RFDS employs Rural Generalists or 'Flying Doctors' to deliver essential health care to rural and remote communities through fly-in primary health clinics, telehealth services and emergency response.
What does being a Flying Doctor involve?
Working alongside a dedicated multidisciplinary team, Rural Generalists help bridge the gap between distance and care, delivering vital primary and allied health services where they are needed most.
The role also includes clinical coordination and low- to mid-acuity retrievals, working collaboratively with retrieval consultants and operations coordinators to deliver safe, timely and comprehensive care to patients across rural and remote regions.
- Exciting variety of clinical presentations.
- State-of-the-art retrieval platforms including turbo-prop aircraft.
- Opportunity to practice critical care retrieval in a small highly trained team and remote setting with 24/7 support from senior clinicians.
- You’ll never stop learning and facing new challenges, with career development and growth opportunities.
- You’ll make a difference with every single flight.
Primary care outreach
- Fly-in visits to remote communities and pastoral stations
- Telehealth consults
- Develop skills in complex chronic disease management, Aboriginal health, team-based whole-of-life care
Virtual emergency care
- Assess and manage acute presentations and emergencies via phone/video.
Retrieval medicine
- Task and manage aeromedical retrievals and supporting inter-hospital transfers.
- Low – moderate acuity retrievals (high-acuity retrievals managed by retrieval consultants).
Watch our team in action
When Tony’s vehicle rolled off the Eyre Highway in one of the most remote areas of the country, he was trapped in his car clinging to life – needing the RFDS to land on the road to airlift him to safety.
Rural Generalist training pathway
Registrars must have completed at least six months each in General Practice and Emergency Medicine (post internship).
The RFDS is proudly accredited to train Registrars enrolled in the RACGP, ACRRM, ACEM and ANZCA national training colleges.
Visit the Rural Generalist Program South Australia website to learn more about the training and career pathway.
Student placements with the RFDS
The Flinders and Upper North Rural Training Network provides a broad range of clinical experiences in both hospital and primary care settings based in Whyalla and Port Augusta.
Through the internship and PGY2+ rotations offered by the RFDS in South Australia, medical interns share their time between the Port Augusta Hospital emergency department and the RFDS Port Augusta Base, forming a one-of-a-kind introduction to rural generalism.
The RFDS has established a high quality RACGP-accredited teaching practice and liaises with the Port Augusta Hospital and Health Service and central medical services in Adelaide when providing services.
Apply through SA MET for intern and PGY2+ positions with Flinders and Upper North Rural Training Network.
I got to experience two sides of the RFDS: one where we run GP clinics out bush and provide very important primary care to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access it easily and the other part being retrieval medicine out in the middle of nowhere.
Dr Keziah Dilger, Rural Generalist Intern
About our Port Augusta Base
Rural Generalists and Retrieval Doctors who work with RFDS SA/NT are based in Port Augusta – just over three hours' drive from Adelaide.
Established in 1955, the RFDS SA/NT Port Augusta Base is a vital hub for aeromedical retrievals and primary health care across 840,000 square kilometres of South Australia.
The Base houses the RFDS SA/NT Operations Coordination Centre, coordinating 24-hour emergency retrievals and inter-hospital transfers across Adelaide, Alice Springs, Port Augusta and Darwin, and providing after-hours support to the Broken Hill Base. Meanwhile, our Primary Health Care Service delivers 24-hour telehealth and fly-in clinics offering chronic disease, mental health, oral health, maternal health, breast cancer and community health services.
Why join the RFDS?
Multidisciplinary team
Grow within a highly skilled clinical team responding to a wide range of health conditions and medical emergencies in a cutting-edge aeromedical environment.
- Experienced Rural Generalists and Retrieval Consultants
- Primary Care, Remote Area, Flight and Specialist Nurses
- Allied Health, Mental Health and Aboriginal Health Workers, Pharmacist
- Trainee Medical Officers/Interns
- Pilots
Work, live and grow
Advance your career, expand your clinical skills and unlock unique professional development opportunities
- Competitive renumeration including penalty rates and professional development
- Housing
- 0.5 – 1 FTE opportunities
- Once-in-a-lifetime development opportunities
- Training, relocation and leave benefits
- Opportunities for combined placement with Port Augusta Hospital
Adventure awaits
Gain expertise while exploring some of the most unique areas of Australia.
- Explore Outback South Australia from the 'Crossroads of Australia’
- Hike or bike the amazing Flinders Ranges
- Pub quiz nights and team social catchups
Express your interest
Fill out the form below to get more information about becoming a Flying Doctor.
* required fields