Bulletin

Issue: September 2005

News

Joint bid for regional and rural medical school

La Trobe University and the University of Ballarat have announced their intention to seek government support to establish a third medical school in Victoria.

Professor Osborne emphasised that the aim of the proposal was not to transplant a metropolitan program into a regional setting since this would not address the national problem of a shortage of regional and rural medical practitioners.

Professor Michael Osborne, Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University, said: 'Both universities believe that the regional and rural shortage of medical practitioners can only be addressed by universities with a strong regional presence and a truly regionally focused mission.'

University of Ballarat Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kerry Cox, said: 'Together the two universities are uniquely placed to establish a regional and rural medical program. Combined we have eight campuses across western and northern Victoria and strong associations with hospitals throughout the State.'

The proposal sees the two universities offering pre-medical programs as well as a jointly run graduate entry medical program based at Ballarat and Bendigo.

Professor Osborne emphasised that the aim of the proposal was not to transplant a metropolitan program into a regional setting since this would not address the national problem of a shortage of regional and rural medical practitioners.

The first intake into the pre-medical programs would be in 2007 and the first intake into the graduate entry program would be set for 2008. Students in the pre-medical programs would graduate with a Bachelor of Medical Science after three years. Those with good results would be guaranteed a place in the four-year graduate entry program.

Students from regional and rural Australia would be targeted for the programs.

The programs would be deeply embedded in existing healthcare systems in regional and rural communities and would be developed in close consultation with the Commonwealth and Victorian governments and professional associations, including the Australian Medical Association and the Society of General Practitioners.