What we do
Dr YES (Youth Education Sessions) is the award winning and longest-running program of the AMA (WA) Foundation, delivering no-cost health education for young people. The team is volunteer medical and medical-assured pathway students from the University of Western Australia, University of Notre Dame, and Curtin University. They deliver sessions on mental health, sexual health and alcohol and other drugs, primarily to high schools and alternative learning centres, as well as youth centres across Western Australia.
One of the unique advantages of Dr YES is the peer-to-peer nature of the program, allowing the team to build rapport and have frank and open conversations that students may be reluctant to have with other adults in their lives. The content delivered is designed to support the health curriculum.
Dr YES books out every year, with many schools consistently requesting Dr YES sessions.
Over the years, Dr YES has travelled throughout WA, including remote and regional areas.
Dr YES aims to:
Empower young people to make
healthy and informed choices
Break down the barriers that can prevent young people from accessing healthcare
Provide professional development opportunities to the future generation of medical practitioners
How do I book Dr YES?
Dr YES uses a peer-to-peer approach to engage with young people and build a casual and open forum for discussion. This approach provides an effective means of communicating valuable health information and destigmatising some of those awkward conversations that might not have a place in your classroom. The sessions are designed to run for an hour, but we may be able to offer flexibility so please check with us. We recommend reading the Teacher’s Resource as this details the content and delivery of our sessions.
Rural and regional areas
Every year, Dr YES visits several rural and remote regions to deliver sessions. If your school is outside the Perth metropolitan area and you are interested in Dr YES, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you in an organised trip.
Volunteering with Dr YES
Volunteering with Dr YES is a great way for medical and Medical-Assured Pathway students to develop personal and professional skills and contribute positively to the community.
Some of the benefits from volunteering at the AMA (WA) Foundation on the Dr YES program are:
- Make a difference to the lives of young people in WA!
- Invitation to attend Youth Friendly Doctor training seminars, resulting in Youth Friendly Doctor status for when you graduate
- Attend training delivered by professionals in their fields
- Make strong life-long friendships with your peers
- Attend day trips & week-long rural trips to explore more of WA
- Social events – Volunteer Celebration Dinner, social sports, and social nights
- Potential to become a Dr YES Coordinator
- Personal and professional development opportunities e.g. communication, engagement, health literacy
- Invitations to AMA (WA) events, i.e. MEDCON, Golf Day
- A great addition for your resume
You can apply to become a volunteer here.
