Goldfields University Department of Rural Health (GUDRH)<\/a>, and it\u2019s an experience she says has transformed her both professionally and personally.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe GUDRH is a new academic centre based in Kalgoorlie, focused on health education and research, as well as helping students study and work in the Goldfields. As a partnership between Curtin and organisations like the WA Country Health Service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the GUDRH supports clinical placements, research opportunities and local career pathways to grow and retain a skilled health workforce in the region. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based at a Kalgoorlie school for her 14-week social work placement, Di got to observe students, identify those who may need support, and work proactively with her teammate to develop action plans in consultation with supervisors and school staff.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have someone sitting next to me telling me what to do all the time. I have to be very proactive, make decisions, seek feedback by myself, but I still have a lot of support. A lot of my skills are being built in a short time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sense of independence and hands-on experience is exactly what drew Di to a rural placement.\u00a0She knew she wanted to do her placement outside of the city, and believed that working in Kalgoorlie would provide her with valuable personal and professional development opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Di, the support she\u2019s received from GUDRH has been a standout part of her placement. She says the staff take time to understand each student\u2019s goals, creating an environment where she feels truly listened to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey really listen to what I expect, what I want, what I need. That\u2019s what I\u2019ll apply in my future work, learning to listen to people, to understand what they really need.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s also had the chance to participate in community events and agency visits and even attend a social psychologist meeting as an observer, an opportunity she said would be unlikely in a big city where everyone is \u201ctoo busy\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Di\u2019s experience in Kalgoorlie has deepened her interest in working with both Indigenous communities and veterans as a reservist in the army. \u201cI want to work in mental health, with soldiers and Indigenous people. Maybe part-time in each area. There are so many options in social work. It\u2019s opened my eyes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the cultural immersion sessions, such as the On-Country experience with a local Aboriginal family left a deep impression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t just give us information, they let us ask questions, they showed us their land and culture, they explained why some things can\u2019t be photographed or shared. It was gentle, respectful, and very powerful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked if she had advice for students considering a regional placement, Di didn\u2019t hesitate. She believes you learn faster with more responsibility, there is more opportunity to connect with the community, and you could gain better feedback and face more growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA highlight is the networking for me. The connection with people in, and related to, the field. Everyone is just so supportive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking to the future, Di is hoping to work with the defence industry. As a soldier herself, Di recognises the need for social work in this industry and is open to a variety of opportunities, such as social work organising support for defence families with children who have disabilities, or working as a counsellor. Di also wants to continue to raise the profile of the social work degree, believing it is far more diverse than the common assumption that social working just deals with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more about doing a rural placement at the Goldfields University Department of Rural Health (GUDRH), visit the website.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From Vietnam to Kalgoorlie, Di\u2019s regional social work placement is shaping her future. Gaining hands-on experience and cultural insight, she\u2019s\u00a0building confidence, community connections, and a passion for rural impact.\u00a0| Reading time: 2 mins\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4418,"featured_media":28991,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"6488,7177,4744,4879,6989,8301","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_oasis-categories":0,"footnotes":""},"oasis-categories":[146,250],"class_list":["post-28990","oasis-news","type-oasis-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","oasis-categories-student-life","oasis-categories-student-profile"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Di-oasis-profile-1588x500.png","author_meta":{"first_name":"Rachelle","last_name":"Erzay","display_name":"Rachelle Erzay"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-12 00:24:00","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/28990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oasis-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/28990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-categories?post=28990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}