Fast Facts
Location
This course may require some on-campus attendance
Commencing
- Online: January, September
Fees
$17,810^
^
total estimated tuition fee
Plus Student Services and Amenities fee. Fee deferral and scholarships available if eligible
Currently displaying fees for 2026, which are subject to change in following years.
Duration
1 year part-time
Entry Requirements
Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Nursing or Paramedicine obtained from this university or another recognised university. A minimum of two (2) years’ full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience in a critical care environment. Intern and first year of practice years are excluded from these two (2) years of experience.
A current and complete CV demonstrating these minimum requirements must be submitted for approval by the Course Coordinator prior to enrolment into the course. Please note: Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection
Course Code
77111
Course detail
Advance your career in Medicine, Nursing, or Paramedicine by gaining the specialised knowledge and skills required to provide high quality clinical care within the prehospital and retrieval healthcare settings. This engaging and professionally focused course prepares you to develop expertise in managing prehospital and retrievals taskings, aligned with Australian and international healthcare standards. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of patient transport using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and jets across both domestic and international contexts.
One of the highlights of JCU’s Graduate Certificate of Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine is a three-day, face-to face intensive delivered in Townsville. This immersive intensive is facilitated by clinical experts from a range of Australia’s Prehospital and Retrieval services. Students will visit an operational rotary wing and fixed wing aeromedical retrieval base and apply their learning through simulation-based scenarios conducted on campus at the University.
The core subjects in the JCU’s Graduate Certificate of Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine are designed with two foundation subjects that introduce the essential principles and knowledge underpinning prehospital and retrieval medicine. These subjects build on and develop the advanced clinical skills that span the full continuum of care including assessment, stabilisation and preparation for transfer. Care is explored across the prehospital environment, the referring hospital setting, infight care and concludes with structured handover process at mission completion.
A third core subject offers a specialised stream, enabling you to tailor your studies to your professional interests by focusing on Adult Retrieval Medicine and/or Neonatal and Paediatric Retrieval Medicine, in alignment with individual career pathways.
In the fourth and final subject, you may elect to undertake the fourth specialist Retrieval topic or choose from a diverse list of more than 30 subjects in Public Health and Tropical Medicine. These options include areas such travel medicine, health promotion, global health and development, First Nations health and many more to broaden or diversify the learning experience.
Consult the handbook for further information.
Inherent requirements
Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Graduate Certificate of Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine.
Graduates of the JCU Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine course pursue dynamic and engaging careers across the health care sector. The course prepares you to be career ready for roles as retrieval physicians, flight nurses or flight paramedics.
Employment opportunities span not for profit organisations, government health services, the military and non-government organisations, with career pathways leading to practice in remote, regional and urban settings across Australia and internationally.
As part of the course, JCU Prehospital and Retrieval graduates develop specialised skills to manage high acuity, low occurrence clinical situations, ensuring they are well prepared to deliver care to critically ill or injured patients in complex and resource limited environments.
Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD17,810.00
A variety of Scholarships are available to suit different student types.
Learn more about fees and financial support
JCU offers multiple Pathways to University. If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, consider exploring our available Pathways options.
Contact our friendly team today to discover which pathway is right for you.
Complete an online application through our Online Application Portal.
Webinars
Flying into Action
Retrieval medicine is the backbone of rural and remote healthcare—moving patients hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of kilometres to reach the care they need. Over the past 20 years, this field has evolved into a highly specialised discipline, with doctors, nurses, paramedics, and pilots working together to deliver critical care both in the air and on the ground. Join us for this webinar to hear first-hand stories from the frontline of retrieval medicine and learn what it takes to become a retrieval medicine specialist.
Watch Now
Real stories
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Alumni
Deborah Lloyd
Graduate Certificate of Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine
The content is practical; the people are supportive, and it opens doors to a whole new way of thinking about patient care outside hospital walls. The course has given me the confidence to step into the retrieval world, from understanding the key aspects of clinical care in the aeromedical environment to scene logistics
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Alumni
Dr Richard Harris SC OAM
Graduate Certificate of Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine
The highlight of my 2 years study was visiting the campus to do a study block. As an experienced medical professional already, it was fantastic for me to meet the other students and lecturers who shared my interests. All in all, it was a great experience.
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Lecturer
Anita Wall
Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine
Pre-hospital and retrieval medicine is a highly specialised work environment. This course, and our job, is to teach students how to apply their critical care training and experience, be that from medicine, nursing or paramedicine, to this unique retrieval environment.