Medical students are gaining a deeper understanding of the complexity of life experiences their patients will face, through a partnership between Adelaide University and the Department for Child Protection.
Under the program, small groups of students spend one day each week for eight weeks on placement, learning about a range of child protection issues. It marks the first time this sort of placement has been offered.
In 2026 there will be four cohorts of students, who are in the fifth year of a Bachelor of Medical Studies or Doctor of Medicine program at the university's Adelaide Medical School.
The 'Equity-focused Learning Experience' aims to provide practical learning experience, exposing students to inequity and its impact on health systems.
Students are embedded in teams across psychological, multicultural and disability services, working with social workers and allied health professionals. They gain insight into the challenges faced by children and young people in the protection system.
Students have been working with staff, including social workers and other allied health practitioners, to gain an understanding of the broad range of challenges faced by children and young people who encounter the child protection and family support system.
Activities include visiting residential care and health services, observing case management, joining clinical discussions and meeting carers. Students also learn key principles, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, which seeks to keep children connected to family.
Throughout their placements, students undertake a small research project which centres on driving equitable health outcomes for children in care. In their final week, students will present on a range of topics such as trauma informed practice and preliminary health checks for children entering the care system.
As put by Minister for Child Protection Alice Rolls
This program is giving our doctors of tomorrow invaluable knowledge of the interconnected issues faced by families across South Australia.
Through joining in conversations about case management, meeting carers and learning about supports focussed on children's specific needs, these placements are putting students in an excellent position to provide better care for some of our communities' most vulnerable people.
Everyone should have access to great health care, but like everywhere, we know inequities exist in our system. Understanding these is the first step towards providing better services for all South Australian children and their families and giving kids the best possible chance to thrive.
As put by Adelaide University Pro Vice Chancellor, College of Health, Professor Andrew Zannettino
Strong partnerships with government and community organisations are central to how Adelaide University prepares the next generation of health professionals.
Programs like this bring education closer to the realities of people's lives. They ensure our graduates are not only clinically skilled, but also deeply aware of the broader factors that influence health, especially in critical areas like child protection.
By immersing our students in some of the most challenging parts of our health and social systems, we're helping shape them into more compassionate, capable doctors – because everyone deserves access to quality health care, and that begins with understanding the communities we serve.
As put by Adelaide University medical student Sanjhi Shah
This experience has been incredibly eye-opening. It gave me a firsthand look at the complex challenges that newly arrived and culturally and linguistically diverse families face when navigating our healthcare and child protection systems.
As a future doctor, this placement has completely reframed my perspective. It taught me to look far beyond the clinical symptoms and truly understand and address the social, cultural, and structural barriers affecting a child's wellbeing.
For many families navigating a new country, a doctor is their primary point of contact. This experience taught me how to bridge those gaps in health literacy and build the trust required to support vulnerable children effectively.
Holistic care has always been my core motivation for entering medicine. This placement has deeply reinforced that by teaching me the insights needed to advocate for vulnerable families and deliver equitable, culturally responsive healthcare throughout my career.
