Local medical school key to beating NT workforce shortages

CDU’s Menzies School of Medicine has applied for government-funded student places as it seeks to establish a territory-led undergraduate medical program.

Charles Darwin University’s Menzies School of Medicine has placed its inaugural application for Commonwealth supported medical student places to combat the chronic shortage of medical practitioners in the Northern Territory.

The university applied for 40 of the 80 places included in the Increasing Rural Medical Training grant opportunity, funded by the federal government to support high-quality rural health training and boost retention of health professionals in rural and regional areas.

The grant offers $81,653,000 for the provision of eight new rural campuses for existing medical schools to deliver full medical school programs, as well as the Commonwealth supported places for domestic medical students to study at the campuses.

According to Professor Diane Stephens OAM, Dean of the CDU Menzies School of Medicine, the Commonwealth supported places are crucial to the university’s goal of establishing a locally based undergraduate medical program that addresses the territory’s workforce needs.   

“The NT only has 22 medical graduates to fill 65 vacant internship positions every year and in general practice training the number of new trainees in the NT has reduced from 60 in 2016 to less than 15 in 2023,” Professor Stephens said.

“The NT is the most rural and remote jurisdiction, has the greatest need for doctors in the country and is the only jurisdiction with no commonwealth supported medical places. Surely this is a compelling reason for CDU to be allocated 40 of the current commonwealth offering of 80 new medical places.”

Director of the Menzies School of Health Research Professor Alan Cass AO said that the institute was looking forward to partnering with the School of Medicine to deliver the medical program with its emphasis on research and innovation.

“Menzies welcomes the opportunity to be involved in an NT-led medical school which draws on our researchers’ experience as experts in their field and supports pathways into health for young Territorians,” he said.

“Our research looks at how to support health service delivery across the Territory and translate world-class expertise into real world impacts, and the school will further enhance this goal.”

The Increasing Rural Medica Training Grant opened for applications in June and is set to close on 28 July.