Initially this program was known as the Rural Undergraduate Placement Program (RUPP). It was developed in 1995 as part of the General Practice Rural Incentives Program and until mid 2002, was managed by the General Practice Education and Research Unit (GPERU) from Darwin. It's aim was to to enable medical students from all Australian universities to undertake rural general practice attachments and electives in the Top End of the Northern Territory and to gain an understanding of and experience Aboriginal health issues and health care delivery in rural and remote conditions. NT General Practice Education took on the management of RUPP from July 2002. The program name was changed to the Rural Undergraduate Support and Coordination program, better known as RUSC.

About 150 medical students per year are accepted into the program for periods of four to eight weeks. These placements are in high demand with medical students from many Australian universities. Competition is tough and sometimes attachments are booked up to six months in advance.

The Top End RUSC Program can offer a unique cultural and medical experience which will not be experienced elsewhere in Australia. Participating placement health centres range from private GP practices in rural towns to hospital-based placements to Aboriginal medical services and remote community clinics.

Even if placed with a hospital or Aboriginal medical service, opportunities will arise to visit an outstation or local town camp, with a medical team. The medical experience is often hands-on. You may experience Aboriginal culture on their own land, and if you are lucky, may be invited to collect ‘bush tucker’ or go fishing. You may feel that you have become part of a community. And you will get a taste of the tropical lifestyle, from the steamy wet season to the sunny, beautiful ‘dry season’ days.

Students must find their own way to and from their university and Darwin. From there on accommodation and travel within the Top End can be organized and financed via the TE-RUSC coordinator.

Students are given NTGPE Student Workbooks to complete during their placement. The workbook activities provide some focus to their experiences and help to emphasize awareness of medical and cultural issues that they may encounter in the Northern Territory. The NTGPE Student Pre-Readings Manual is recommended as a resource to provide an introduction and background to some of these issues.

Each Wednesday afternoon students are required to participate in the weekly Teleconferences and to present a case study once during the placement period.

Students must also participate in the debriefing Session at the end of their placement.