latrobe.edu.au

La Trobe University CRICOS Provider Code Number 00115M

Medical Training in Regional Victoria: a collaboration between the University of

Melbourne and La Trobe University

Anthony T. Baker

26th October 2018

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Number of Doctors per 100,000 population

Region Doctors per 100,000 people (2015)

Major Cities 441.6

Inner Regional 297.5

Outer Regional 278.7

Remote / Very Remote 262.8

2016 Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Remoteness StructureRemoteness Area Boundaries

Remoteness AreasMajor Cities of Australia

Inner Regional Australia

Outer Regional Australia

Remote Australia

Very Remote AustraliaAustralian Statistical Geography S tandard, 2016Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994© Commonwealth of Australia, 2018

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Orana, New South Wales

• Central northern NSW• Major Towns: Dubbo,

Mudgee, Cobar, Walgett and Bourke

• 114,000 people (2015)• 198,561 km2 (approx 445 km

square)• 277.5 doctors per 100,000

population

Swan Hill

Horsham

Warrnambool

Geelong

Melbourne

Bendigo

SheppartonWodonga

Wangaratta

BallaratOrbost

Bairnsdale

TraralgonMoe Morwell

Apollo Bay

Note: The Remoteness Structure is composed of six classesMigratory class not mapped

© Commonwealth of Australia, 2009

2006 AUSTRALIAN STANDARD GEOGRAPHICAL CLASSIFICATION: REMOTENESS STRUCTURE

Victoria Remoteness Area boundaries

Mildura

Remoteness Area

Very Remote Australia Remote AustraliaOuter Regional AustraliaInner Regional AustraliaMajor Cities of Australia

Kilometres

0 200

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GPs and Specialists per 100,000 population

Region GPs Specialists

Major Cities 105.2 219.5

Inner Regional 105.6 85.5

Outer Regional 103.1 47.6

Remote / Very Remote 124.0 59.3

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People in regional rural and remote communities compared to their city counterparts exhibit:

10% higher levels of mortality

10% higher ra tes of injury or dis ability

32% higher ra tes of ris ky alcohol cons umption

10-70% higher ra tes of peri-natal death

Other s tudies s ugges t that life expectancy is 1 – 2 years lower in regional areas and up to 7 years lower in remote areas compared to major cities .

65% of Indigenous Aus tralians live in regional and remote areas .

Regional and Rural Health

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Skilled migration programs (currently about 40% of doctors in rural and regional Australia are international medical graduates (IMGs))

Rural Clinical Training and Support program: provided funding to establish Rural Clinical Schools (RCS)

25% of medical students are to undertake a one-year clinical training placement in a rural area; all students have to complete at least 4 weeks of a structured rural residential placement in RA 2-5 areas; 25% of Commonwealth supported medical students are to be recruited from a rural background*.

Australian General Practice Training Program: 50% of general practice vocational training placements are in rural and remote areas.

Addressing the maldistribution of medical workforce

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Between 2010 and 2014 the rural and remote GP workforce increased by 23% against a 3.5% increase in the population served and only a 10% increase in the metropolitan GP workforce.

The best outcome, in terms of recruiting and retaining medical practitioners in rural settings, is achieved by training students from rural areas in rural areas.

Impact of the Schemes

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6 year undergraduate entry MB/BS

Campuses at Bendigo, Orange and Wagga Wagga with 16 clinical training locations in the Murray-Darling region

> 80% of places reserved for regional, rural, remote and indigenous students

Strong focus on rural and regional practice

Graduates encouraged to practise in rural and regional areas.

The Mason Review (2013) had noted that the Commonwealth did not support the establishment of new medical schools primarily because of a lack of clinical training capacity

Proposal for Murray-Darling Medical School (CSU/LTU)

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Funded ($95.4 million) in the 2018-2019 Commonwealth Budget

The Network involves UNSW (Wagga Wagga), University of Sydney (Dubbo), Charles Sturt University / Western Sydney University (Orange), Monash University (Bendigo, Mildura) and University of Melbourne / La Trobe University (Shepparton, Bendigo, Wodonga).

With respect to the LTU collaboration, University of Melbourne Dean (Professor Kapur) said: “This new model will offer country s tudents a fully articulated end-to-end rural tra ining program, without having to leave rural Victoria .”

Some places in the Doctor of Medicine a t Shepparton will be ‘guaranteed’ to graduates of LTU’s B Biomedical Science (Medical) and s ome will be open for competitive entry.

Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network

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Commencing in 2019

To be offered at Bendigo and Albury / Wodonga campuses

15 entering students only

Strong emphasis on biochemistry, anatomy, physiology

Anatomy lab work to be conducted at Bendigo

Maintenance of a weighted average mark (WAM) of 75 will guarantee direct entry into the University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine at Shepparton.

B Biomedical Science (Medical) at La Trobe University

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The admission criteria and means of selection have been negotiated with the University of Melbourne.

Rural background requirement, including preference for having completed Years 11 and 12 of s chool in a rural environment.

A minimum raw ATAR of 85.

Multiple Mini Interview focus s ing on advocacy, collaboration, critical thinking, empathy, ethical reas oning, motivation and regional identification. Pers onal Statement a ls o required.

Decis ion bas ed on 50:50 ATAR : MMI (including rural connectednes s ).

No deferment, credit trans fer or incoming cours e trans fer pos s ible.

B Biomedical Science (Medical): admission

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