Medical School 'for regional Australia' plans to open in 2007

Feb 22, 2006

An innovative Medical School established primarily to address the chronic shortage of doctors practising outside the capital cities plans to open at the University of Wollongong (UOW) next year.

The Australian Medical Council today gave the University approval to proceed with plans to accept its first Medical students to start the course in January 2007.

In a letter to the University, the Australian Medical Council said its Medical School Accreditation Committee had approved UOW's Stage 1 Submission which set out the plans for the GSM's operation, including curriculum, staffing, facilities, finances and clinical training arrangements.

The Federal Government announced funding for the establishment of a Medical School at UOW in 2004, with the prime objective of training doctors to work in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia to help overcome the shortage of medical practitioners working "in the bush".

Since then the University has been working to develop a model for innovation and excellence in medical education. The School will operate from new buildings currently under construction at the University's Wollongong and Shoalhaven Campuses, and will incorporate many of the latest innovations in international medical education (see separate story and photo).

University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton said Stage 1 accreditation was an important milestone in the establishment of the GSM.

"This is great news for the University. Our GSM team has been working very hard to meet all the requirements of the accreditation committee. We can now move to Stage 2 of the accreditation process with confidence, and continue preparing for the arrival of our first Medical students next February," Professor Sutton said.

"This is a hugely significant development for the University of Wollongong, both domestically and internationally. It is also significant for the nation, because of our focus on training doctors primarily to work in rural, regional and remote areas where currently there is a great shortage of medical practitioners.

"This is also important for the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Experience tells us that training doctors locally will ultimately deliver a major dividend to the region by significantly improving the provision of health services in the future."

Professor Sutton said the University had received strong support from the Federal and State Governments, and paid tribute to Prime Minister John Howard, who had personally signed off on the University's submission to establish the Medical School in 2004.

"We have received tremendous support from Illawarra-based politicians in the Federal Government, Member for Gilmore Joanna Gash and Senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells, as well as Dr Brendan Nelson when he was Education Minister," Professor Sutton said.

"The NSW Government, through the then Health Minister now Premier Morris Iemma strongly supported the Medical School with funding for five Professorships. And the partnership with South East Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service CEO Professor Debora Picone has also been critical to today's announcement."

The GSM will actively recruit students who demonstrate ties to regional and rural areas, and seek to strengthen those ties throughout their training with clinical placements at hospitals, clinics and medical practices in regional areas.

"It will also give us the opportunity to apply for greater National Health and Medical Grants research grants funding, further strengthening our already strong research activities," Professor Sutton said.

GSM Foundation Dean Professor John Hogg said Stage 1 approval meant the GSM team could now concentrate on filling its remaining professorial and academic staff positions.

"We have already recruited key professorial and administrative staff, and can now concentrate on filling the remaining positions and work with the AMC preparing to deliver our curriculum," Professor Hogg said.

He said Illawarra and Shoalhaven doctors had embraced the concept of the Medical School, with more than 200 signing up as honoraries and committing to on-going involvement at the GSM in roles including planning, teaching, governance, clinical supervision, research, student mentoring and assessment.

"The support we have received from many of the region's doctors has been magnificent," Professor Hogg said.

The GSM will accept 80 students each year, with 56 based at Wollongong and 24 at the Shoalhaven campus. Candidates must have completed an undergraduate degree, with special consideration given to those who can demonstrate ties to regional, rural or remote communities.