NSW Governor to welcome UOW’s first Medical students

Jan 25, 2007

The Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, CVO, will welcome the first medical students to the University of Wollongong’s new Graduate School of Medicine (GSM) in a special ceremony at the university on Monday, 29 January.

The GSM has been established primarily to address the chronic shortage of doctors practising by training doctors to work in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. The University has developed an innovative curriculum to train 80 medical students per year at purpose-built medical training facilities at its Wollongong and Shoalhaven campuses.

The students will join the Governor and her husband Sir Nicholas Shehadie, official guests and academics in a procession to the University Hall at 9am for the welcome ceremony, where the inaugural GSM Lecture will be presented by University of Sheffield Medical School Director of Teaching Professor Nigel Bax. Professor Bax has been a key consultant to the GSM as it established its curriculum.

UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton said Monday’s welcome to the students was an historic occasion for the university, and for the region.

“This new Medical School will make an extremely important contribution to the communities of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven and other regional and rural areas by training doctors who are committed to practising medicine outside the capital cities,” Professor Sutton said. “The University is honoured that such an eminent Australian as Professor Bashir, with her outstanding record in medical education, has agreed to welcome our first medical students.”

During Monday’s ceremony the University’s Chancellor Michael Codd, AC will confer an Honorary Doctorate of Science on Professor Bashir in recognition of her distinguished career in medicine and medical education.

WHEN: Monday, 29 January – 9am-11am

WHERE: University Hall, University of Wollongong.

PARKING: UniCentre Carpark (enter via Eastern Gate, Northfields Avenue)

MEDIA NOTE: The Welcome Ceremony will begin at 9am, and conclude at 10.30am. There will be opportunities for media interviews during the informal morning tea outside the University Hall between 10.30am-11am. Media representatives are also invited to tour the GSM Building with Professors Don Iverson and John Hogg from 11am.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128