2025 Early Career Health Summit: Skills, Connections, and Adventure in the Pilbara

What a weekend on the Mackerel Islands! 🐠🤿🏝️

The 2025 Early Career Health Summit brought together 24 early career health professionals to build confidence, clinical skills, and resilience in managing emergencies in remote settings — while connecting, recharging, and forming lasting relationships.

Highlights

• Expert-led sessions: Medicine, physiotherapy and mental health scenarios helped participants sharpen emergency skills in high-pressure, remote environments 💉🧠💪.

• Island adventures: Off-road trips to Back Beach, snorkeling, swimming, and sunset reflections strengthened peer connections.

• Networking & mentorship: Evening dinners under the stars provided space to connect with facilitators and the Pilbara health community.

Facilitators

• 👨‍⚕️ Dr Aaron Donald

• 👩‍⚕️ Nurse Rebecca Peck

• 🧑‍🦽 Physiotherapist Claire Donaldson

• 🧠 Mental Health Clinician Julia Hensley

Thank You

Thanks to our facilitators, partners, and Mackerel Islands for making this unforgettable experience possible:
Rural Health West | WA Primary Health Alliance | WA Country Health Service | The Rural Clinical School of WA | WA Centre for Rural Health | RFDS WA | St John WA | AMA WA

Congratulations to all participants — we hope you leave more skilled, supported, and inspired for the incredible work you do in regional communities!

2024 Early Career Health Summit – Cheela Plains Station

26 early career health professionals gathered at Cheela Plains Station for a unique remote bush experience designed to upskill, connect, and inspire.

Learning, Adventure, and Connection
Participants spent their days exploring gorges, springs, caves, and walking trails while developing practical skills, professional abilities, and emergency management expertise in medical, physiotherapy, and mental health scenarios. Highlights included a medical scenario demonstration of an anaphylaxis presentation led by facilitators:

• Dr Cherelle Fitzclarence
• Dr Graeme Fitzclarence
• Dr Stephanie Krajniak
• Physiotherapist Josh Yates

Lunch stops, like the shaded Mussel Pool along the Beasley River, offered time to relax and reflect. Evenings were spent socialising over dinner at the station café and group campfires, strengthening connections among peers.

Summit Purpose
The Early Career Health Professionals Summit aims to enhance capabilities in managing emergencies in unfamiliar or remote contexts while also providing a space to connect and network with colleagues living and working in the Pilbara.

A Big Thank You
A massive thank you to our facilitators — Cherelle, Graeme, Stephanie, Josh, and Millie — for their expertise and guidance, and to Cheela Plains Station Stay for hosting this unforgettable experience.

Thanks also to our partners and supporters for making this event possible:

• Rural Health West
• WA Primary Health Alliance
• WA Country Health Service
• The Rural Clinical School of WA
• WA Centre for Rural Health
• Local sponsorship: KAW Engineering Pty Ltd

Congratulations to all 26 early career health professionals who attended — we hope you found this event both educationally rewarding and socially enriching!

PHPN Early Career Health Summit 2023

What a unique learning environment at the inaugural PHPN Eearly Career Health Summit located at the Mackerel Islands.

Over four days, 24 early career health professionals networked and upskilled while also exploring one of our hidden treasures off the Pilbara coast – Thevernard Island. Their days were a mix of educational components and relaxation. They enjoyed swimming and fishing whilst learning how to deal with emergency situations in unfamiliar contexts and also provide an opportunity to socialise and connect with peers living and working in the Pilbara. At night they were able to socialise with dinner under the stars with fellow participants.

A big thank you to our facilitators Dr Cherelle Fitzclarence (RCSWA), Dr Graeme Fitzclarence (RCSWA), Physiotherapist Alice Bartley (Pilbara Physiotherapy) and Senior Mental Health Clinician Millie Caddy (Connect Paediatric Therapy Services) for your support and expertise to make the health summit a huge success.

Thank you to our Early Career Professionals for attending the Health Summit. We look forward to next years at the beautiful Mackerel Islands.

PHPN Early Career Health Summit 2021

What a unique learning environment at the inaugural PHPN EC Health Summit located at the Mackerel Islands.

Our group had the opportunity to create lasting connections with colleagues and friends from around the region and learn valuable knowledge, encouragement and clinical wisdom from our trainers Dr Cherelle Fitzclarence (RCSWA), Dr Graeme Fitzclarence (RCSWA) and Physiotherapist Alice Bartley (Pilbara Physiotherapy)

Thank you to our Early Career Professionals for attending the Health Summit. We look forward to next years at the beautiful Mackerel Islands.