The UDRH, Tasmania established in 1997, is part of a national network of 10 university departments of rural health. In 2002 the University of Tasmania joined 8 other university medical schools in Australia in the development of a Rural Clinical School (RCS). The RCS in Tasmania is located in the north west of Tasmania at Burnie. The Faculty of Health Science in the University of Tasmania is working towards the integration of academic rural health into its faculty structure. It has appointed a Professor of Rural Health who has oversight of both the UDRH and RCS. These two entities are working collaboratively to further their own and shared objectives around academic rural health education, research and rural community engagement.