Rural Health West holds a number of educational conferences each year, promoting the professional development of rural doctors, enhancing their skills and providing them with a vital link to other GPs and specialists. These events take place both in Perth and regionally. The timetable for forthcoming conferences is as follows:
| 27 - 28 March 2010 | Rural Health West Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition |
Sheraton Perth Hotel |
| 5 - 8 May 2010 | Building the Future of Rural Health - 4th Annual Rural Health Conference |
Cable Beach Club Resort, Broome |
| 3 - 4 July 2010 | Aboriginal Health Conference | Duxton Hotel Perth |
| 16 - 17 October 2010 | Fremantle Weekend Conference | Notre Dame University, Fremantle |
| 26 - 27 March 2011 | Rural Health West Annual Conference | Sheraton Perth Hotel |
| 21 - 22 May 2011 | Rural and Remote Retrieval Weekend | Karijini National Park (Karijini Eco Retreat) |
| 2 - 3 July 2011 | Aboriginal Health Conference | Sheraton Perth Hotel |
| 15 - 16 October 2011 | Fremantle Weekend Conference | TBC |
Each event is endorsed for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points towards vocational registration by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). The number of points awarded will be based on the number of hours and type of education undertaken. Many of these events now gain accreditation as RACGP Category 1 activities accumulating 40 CPD points and attendees may be eligible for the Rural Procedural Grant, accessed through the colleges.
The topics covered are chosen for their relevance to rural doctors. All conference presenters have an awareness of the differences in rural practice compared with working in a metropolitan area. Rural doctors are encouraged to suggest topics for forthcoming events that would assist them in their practice and in updating their medical knowledge.
In addition to the educational content of these conferences, there are many formal and informal opportunities for networking with colleagues and sharing ideas and experiences arising from working and living in rural and remote areas.
Doctors practising in rural and remote Western Australia will receive reimbursement of travel costs for themselves and their partner to enable them to attend a majority of these conferences and take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities.