Professor Dianne Stephens’ compelling case for NT medical school
As decision time nears on whether the NT will get its own medical school, a leading advocate has made a compelling case for 40 student places. Read what she said.
Northern Territory
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The Northern Territory is cranking up pressure on the commonwealth government to fund places for a new Charles Darwin University medical school in the NT.
A leading advocate for the school says the federal government “must” give 40 medical student places to the NT to create a cohort of homegrown doctors with local knowledge and perspective.
CDU Menzies School of Medicine foundation dean Professor Dianne Stephens said the will and capacity existed in the Northern Territory to develop a stand-alone medical program.
All that’s missing is a commitment from the commonwealth to match the Territory’s capacity.
“The CDU Menzies School of Medicine is ready, willing and able to start a new medical program,” she said.
“We have local knowledge and expertise developed over many years in a growing health system to teach and train students well to become impressive, inspirational fantastic doctors for the Northern Territory.
“In the upcoming release of new medical places, the commonwealth government must give 40 of those places to the CDU Menzies School of Medicine — this is the most critical need in the country.
“The health landscape in the NT and the health of Territorians is unique. To specifically address the poor health outcomes in our First Nations communities in the Northern Territory, we need doctors that are trained locally, with local knowledge that can go out and make a difference.”
Professor Stephens said the challenge now was to get the lion’s share of the small pool of just 80 new commonwealth supported places.
“Every medical school wants those additional places but the Northern Territory doesn’t have any medical places so, from the perspective of equity and the fact our work health force is in a worst state than its ever been, we need to train local students who will stay in the region and deliver the health services into the future,” she said.
“Also our program is being specifically designed by and for Territorians and that means Indigenous Territorians and their health care needs.
“If you look at the Territory, we need a far larger representation of First Nation’s health workers in the system and that includes Indigenous doctors.
“I put my heart and soul into doing the right thing for the Territory and this is the right thing for the Territory.”
Charles Darwin University advised the commonwealth government last year of its plan to establish a medical school in the Territory in partnership with Western Sydney University, which already has an existing medical school.
University vice chancellor Scott Bowman said the Territory was the only jurisdiction without a medical school and said even Orange, a small town in regional NSW, had its own medical school.
The 2022-23 federal budget included nearly $100m in funding to support up to 80 new commonwealth supported medicine places and the establishment of new rural campuses.
A federal government spokesman said the 80 CSPs would be allocated through a competitive process to existing medical schools or universities partnering with existing medical schools, to support delivery of full medical school programs at rural campuses beginning in 2024.
She said the Health Department would open the grant round “shortly”, as well as providing details about the competitive process.
“The allocation of new CSPs are also contingent on state and territory governments guaranteeing additional internships and supporting additional postgraduate training positions,” she said.
“It is expected that applicants will engage with jurisdictions and obtain support from jurisdictional authorities ahead of applying.”
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