8 April 2006
Monash University Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Larkins has welcomed the Federal Government's announcement of 40 Commonwealth-supported places and $5 million to further develop the Monash Medical School to help address rural doctor shortages in Australia.
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| Medicine Dean Professor Ed Byrne, Professor Larkins, Prime Minister John Howard and Russell Broadbent MP at the announcement of 40 medical places for Monash's Gippsland campus. |
Prime Minister John Howard announced today that Monash would receive 40 new places for regional doctor training and $5 million, to be matched by the State Government, to fund facilities and equipment for the new school to be located at the university's Gippsland campus in Churchill. The school is expected to open in 2008.
Professor Larkins said the extra places would help address the chronic shortages of medical practitioners throughout regional and rural Victoria.
"This funding means that Monash will be able to use its established expertise in medical education, particularly in rural health education, to establish a new medical school located in rural Victoria," he said. "This school will provide an opportunity for students to train in rural Victoria with world class curriculum and staff to equip them with the skills to address rural doctor shortages in the country."
Professor Larkins said the announcement addressed a shortage that had been identified in many studies.
"A recent study by the Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee showed that there needed to be an additional 400 general practitioners added to the medical workforce in Australia each year to address the current shortage of medical practitioners and the likely increased demand associated with an ageing population," he said. "The shortage is particularly marked in rural Australia. In addition we have been too dependent on doctors trained overseas and given medical workforce shortages in other countries we cannot continue to rely on doctors from other countries.
"This is a great outcome for the people of rural Australia and particularly Gippsland. I would like to thank the local community for their support, including the local politicians and particularly the Minister Peter McGauran."
Monash University Pro Vice-Chancellor Gippsland Professor Brian Mackenzie said the announcement was a double win for the Gippsland region.
"First, it is a major win for the region to have locally educated medical graduates, who will be more likely to stay and work in the region," he said. "Second, the graduate entry medical program will attract more students and researchers to come to study and work here, making the Gippsland campus even more of a major university presence in the region."
For more information contact Ms Diane Squires, Media Communications, on 0417 603 400.
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