UOW's expertise in rural and regional health education to guide New Zealand's newest medical program
The University of Wollongong's (UOW) Graduate School of Medicine has spent nearly 20 years training doctors to work in rural and regional communities in Australia, and now that extensive experience and expertise will help boost the future of rural health care across the Tasman.
On Friday (17 October), representatives from the University of Wollongong and the University of Waikato will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the medical program for the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine, drawing on Wollongong's experience in medical education.
Wollongong Vice-Chancellor and President Professor G.Q. Max Lu AO said the partnership reflected the University's global outlook and its success in addressing health workforce needs in regional and rural communities.
"At the University of Wollongong we believe in thinking local, acting global and creating impact through genuine partnership," Professor Lu said. "Our universities share a mission to strengthen the health workforce and improve primary care in regional and rural communities, and we look forward to seeing a similar positive impact in New Zealand."
University of Waikato Pro Vice-Chancellor Health Professor Jo Lane said UOW's outstanding record in terms of medical workforce outcomes makes it a natural partner for the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine.
"Wollongong has demonstrated that it is possible to design a medical program that changes where and how doctors choose to practise," Professor Lane said. "Their experience gives confidence that we can achieve similar results in New Zealand, creating a program that meets the needs of our communities."
Wollongong's medical program staff will collaborate with their colleagues in the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine to support the development of an innovative medical curriculum, that is responsive to community needs, with a focus on primary care, rural health and equity.
The partnership draws on Wollongong's proven track record in educating doctors to work in regional and rural communities, which has helped address critical health workforce shortages in Australia.
Up to 70 per cent of domestic University of Wollongong medical students spend a full year of clinical education in a rural community, embedded in primary care, hospital and community-based settings. This helps prepare them for the daily challenges they will face in a rural practice, while highlighting the benefits of living and working outside large cities.
Data from the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand Medical Schools' Outcomes Database shows UOW medical graduates are 1.5 times more likely to work in rural or regional areas and 1.8 times more likely to specialise in general practice when compared to graduates from all Australian medical schools.
