Facts & figures
- 1978 established
- 1.1 million approximate patient population
- 60 Sydney Medical School placements each year
- Over 400 research and teaching affiliates
- 925 beds
- 3200 admissions annually
Faculties and schools_
The University of Sydney Westmead Clinical School
A vibrant research environment for innovation and growth
With a patient population of 1.5 million, the Westmead Clinical School is the largest of its kind at the University. The great number and diversity of people within the Sydney West Area serves to enrich medical student training and experiences.
About the Westmead Clinical School
Established as a part of the Sydney Medical School in 1978, the Westmead Clinical School (WCS) is taught out of the Westmead Precinct – one of the largest teaching amalgamations in the Southern Hemisphere.
We are based in the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), which is an area covered by the NSW State Government health services. NSW Health (WSLHD) administers and funds Westmead Hospital, while the University of Sydney funds WCS.
The strength of WCS is its historical teaching and research capacity and scope.
Study options
We aim to provide students with comprehensive clinical training, and an enjoyable, well-rounded experience. Students are exposed to a wide range of medical and surgical health problems across all ages given our proximity to the Children's Hospital at Westmead. We also have a large network of local primary care facilities and community health services which also support teaching through our community rotations.
There are multiple specialties represented at Westmead, which present potential career directions for our students.
- addiction medicine
- anaesthesia
- clinical ophthalmology and eye health
- dermatology
- emergency medicine
- general practice
- genetic medicine
- imaging
- intensive care medicine
- medicine (including infectious diseases and immunology)
- molecular and microbial biosciences
- obstetrics and gynaecology
- pathology
- pharmacology
- psychological medicine
- public health
- sexual health
- surgery
Please refer to the FMH elective placements page.
The Westmead precinct has in excess of 300 students studying towards their postgraduate research degrees (masters' and PhD). Research at the Westmead Clinical School incorporates Westmead Hospital, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, and the Institute for Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Research.
You can either search for a research opportunity or learn more about research in the Faculty of Medicine and Health on our postgraduate research section.
If you have any questions about research opportunities at the Westmead Clinical School please contact Naomi Hollier:
Teaching opportunities
Tutoring opportunities are available throughout all years of the medical program.
In Stages 1 and 2, tutors teach skills like medical history taking, procedural skills, communication and physical examination skills at the bedside. Upon advancing to Stage 3, tutors are also required in other activities such as clinical reasoning sessions, bedside tutorials, ethical discussions, online work and assessment.
Although teaching in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) is voluntary, there are several professional and collegiate benefits. Tutors become part of the collaborative clinical school environment and network, and may then take up the opportunity to apply for a Clinical Academic Title.
For more information contact the Westmead Clinical School Education Support team at westmeadcs.education-support@sydney.edu.au.
Clinical Academic Titles
For more information on honorary titles, see provided resources:
Our facilities
Our Skills Lab is well-appointed for medical students doing procedural skills training. Majority of skills teaching for stages 1 and 2 is held in this lab, as well as some of the stage 3 sessions.
The lab is fully equipped with scrubbing sinks, skills/plastering supplies, an ECG machine, BP machine, defibrillator, optoscope, emergency trolley and collars etc.
The lab includes the following superior models: BLS models, lumbar puncture models, gynaecological models, catheter models, airway models, breast lump models and cannulation arms.
Our Simulated Learning Environment for Clinical Training (SiLECT) at Westmead is an educational space consisting of three large simulation rooms and two tutorial/debriefing rooms.
Our SiLECT team comprises a collaboration of highly skilled registrar and consultant anaesthetic and emergency physicians, senior nurse educators and clinical nurse consultants all committed to increasing patient safety and evidence based care.
The training is delivered using a variety of high/medium fidelity manikins, standardised patients and part task trainers. The training is delivered in both the SiLECT simulation space and in situ in the clinical environment in response to the goals of the training.
Our equipment caters to all speciality areas and includes two high fidelity SIMman 3G’s, a SIMmom with difficult birth capability, a SIM newbie, ALS manikin’s, part task trainers that focus on advanced skills such as central venous access, chest drains and difficult airway management.
Although many of the training and education sessions we provide are customised to individual needs or specialties we also run regular courses that include: advanced life support accreditation courses (ALS), foetal and obstetric neonatal emergency training, simulation/ALS on the run, emergency response for anaesthetists, simulation instructor training and pre-intern training (PRINT) as well as acute care training using simulation (ACTS) for interns and residents.
Affiliated research units
Community and partners
Leadership
- Head of Westmead Clinical School, Professor Henry Pleass
- Email: wcs.ea@sydney.edu.au
- Senior Operations Manager, Leigh Smith
- Email: leigh.smith@sydney.edu.au
- Phone: (02) 9845 1326
- Mobile: +61 427 378 993
- Email: leigh.smith@sydney.edu.au
- Education Support Manager, Sharlene Scobie