The Territory’s First Medical School Gets Underway
The NT's first medical school is getting underway. The Australian Government is providing $27.8 million over three years to support Flinders University to build a dedicated network of hospital and community-based medical education facilities to enable a NT medical program to be delivered in the NT.
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Joint Release
The Hon Warren Snowdon MP
Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health
and Regional Services Delivery
The Hon Paul Henderson MLA
Chief Minister
The Hon Kon Vatskalis MLA
Minister for Health
Damian Hale MP
Member for Solomon
9 April 2010The Minister for Indigenous Health and Rural and Regional Health, Warren Snowdon, today joined the Member for Solomon, Damian Hale and Chief Minister Paul Henderson, in Darwin to ‘turn the first sod’ for the Northern Territory’s new medical school.
The Rudd Government is providing $27.8 million over three years to support Flinders University to build a dedicated network of hospital and community-based medical education facilities to enable a NT medical program to be delivered in the NT.
The new facilities will be at two main sites, the Charles Darwin University campus and Royal Darwin Hospital.
“At the Charles Darwin University campus, Flinders University has been provided with $14 million for the construction of a teaching and education centre for up to 40 students,” Mr Snowdon said.
“Construction started this month and facilities will be available for the first cohort of new students in 2011,” Hale said.
Meanwhile, up to $12.9 million will be available for the upgrade of clinical education facilities at the Royal Darwin Hospital. It is expected that this facility may be completed in 2013.
“Currently, students who want to study in the NT can only complete two years here, and because of our limited facilities they are forced to travel and live interstate,” Mr Snowdon said.
Mr Hale, who lobbied for the program, said: “This new school will mean 40 students will be taught medicine every year here in the NT with the Territory’s first graduates expected in 2015.”
The Rudd Government will also contribute a further $4.4 million over four years from 2010-11 towards the operational costs for the establishment of the Flinders University Northern Territory Medical Program, to be provided through the broader National Partnership Agreement with the NT Government.
At the launch, Chief Minister Paul Henderson said the Northern Territory Government is contributing $2.1 million per year towards the Northern Territory Clinical School.
“We hope the program will lead to an increase in the number of graduates who choose to practise in the Territory after finishing their medical degree,” Mr Henderson said.
“It’s a terrific program because it means for the first time enable students to obtain an entire medical degree without leaving the Territory,” added Health Minister Kon Vatskalis.
“This increase in health resources for the Northern Territory is vital to stem the drain of local medical students to interstate and overseas institutions,” Mr Hale said.
The program is a collaboration involving Flinders University, Charles Darwin University, the Rudd Government and the NT Government, and it will provide a full four year graduate entry medical program in the NT as an extension of the existing Flinders University course.
The post-graduate medical degree, due to start next year, will be based at the university and Royal Darwin Hospital. From 2011 students will also be able to undertake their pre-medical, undergraduate studies at Charles Darwin University.
$3.5 million to recruit more Indigenous doctors
Mr Snowdon also announced the Rudd Government approved funding of up to $3.5 million over four years to focus on recruiting Indigenous students, and preparing doctors to work in Indigenous communities, especially in the Northern Territory.
Currently there are only seven Indigenous medical graduates who are members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association in the Northern Territory and 141 Indigenous doctors Australian wide.
The Flinders University’s NT Indigenous Transitions Pathways to Medicine project, will develop an Indigenous student entry pathway and support program to attract and encourage Indigenous NT students to complete a degree in medicine.
“The University will recruit a small cohort of Indigenous doctors, in consultation with the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA), to mentor, assist with studies and act as role models for students in the pathway from high school through to completion of their university studies,” Mr Snowdon said.
“Over time this will provide a real boost to the capacity of the Indigenous health workforce in the Northern Territory,” Mr Hale added.
Media contact: Alice Plate 0400 045 999
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