Charles Darwin University bypassed for doctor training funding
The federal government is backing a Territory university’s bid for doctor student places - but the NT has missed out on substantive funding. Read what it got.
Northern Territory
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Charles Darwin University has missed out on the substantive funding required to train medical students at its stand-alone medical school.
The university has been campaigning for commonwealth support to fund 40 student places at the Charles Darwin University School of Medicine.
Instead, the federal government has committed $2.8m to fund exploratory work on the establishment of a new medical school in the NT.
The NT and the ACT are the only jurisdictions to miss out on doctor training funding uner the scheme.
The decision is a setback for the university which had hoped to commence doctor training at the medical school as early as 2024.
A statement released by Federal Health Minister Mark Butler and Education Minister Jason Clare said the $2.8m would enable CDU to seek the accreditation required to establish an end-to-end medical school.
There is substantial evidence that shows doctors who train in rural and regional Australia are more likely to stay and practise in rural and regional Australia after they graduate, the statement said.
Mr Butler said by investing in training medical students, the commonwealth encouraged the uptake of exciting careers in rural, regional and remote health care.
It said CDU’s work towards establishing a new medical school would complement existing medical training arrangements in the NT.
“We know that doctors that train in rural and regional Australia are more likely to stay and set up shop in rural and regional Australia,” Mr Butler said.
“We want students from the NT and beyond to have more opportunities to study medicine and get the ongoing training they need to put down roots in the community.”
Mr Clare said the federal government was “backing in” the NT by helping Charles Darwin University establish its first medical school for doctor and nurse training.
“This investment will allow Charles Darwin University to apply for commonwealth-supported medical places in its own right and not have to rely on other education partners across Australia,” he said.
“The government will continue to consider what further investments can be made to support the provision of high quality medical training in the Northern Territory.”
In August 2022, CDU vice chancellor Professor Scott Bowman signed a partnership agreement with the heads of Western Sydney University and Menzies School of Health Research to support the establishment of the medical school.
The NT News understands the criteria to access the Increasing Rural Medical Training Grant Opportunity set the bar high for a start-up medical school and the NT’s application was ineligible.
Professor Bowman put a positive spin on the announcement despite the commmitment falling short.
The funding will enable CDU to implement critical establishment activities including the development of a Territory-focused curriculum, further recruitment and retention of skilled professors and doctors.
“This is a significant milestone for the CDU Menzies School of Medicine and is a vote of confidence from the Australian government,” Professor Bowman said.
“Opening the doors of the CDU Menzies Medical School is the key to breaking the cycle of the Northern Territory’s historic undersupply of medical practitioners, and this funding paves the way for important work to continue.”
South Australia’s Flinders University currently offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine course in Darwin, eligible for up to 12 students annually.
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