An online petition has been launched by regional universities, calling on the Federal Government to establish a rural medical school.
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While no funding was allocated for a rural medical school in last month’s Federal budget, regional universities have shown they will still continue their campaign seeking funding for the institution.
Charles Sturt University (CSU) and La Trobe University in Victoria are partners in the plan to create the Murray Darling Medical School (MDMS).
The MDMS would have campuses in Orange, Wagga Wagga and Bendigo, in Victoria.
There would be Rural Medical Training Centres in 16 other rural and regional centres.
CSU head of campus Chika Anyanwu said the MDMS would prove to be a vital asset to the rural community.
“The MDMS will serve as a dedicated rural and regional medical school, giving the opportunity for local kids to become local doctors,” he said.
“The MDMS is currently at a critical juncture and is under active consideration by the Federal Government. It is now vital we activate as many local voices as we can.
“To this end, an online petition has been launched calling on the Federal Government to establish the medical school.”
With the online petition, Professor Anyanwu wants to reach as many people as possible.
“It’s a chance for people to voice their opinion,” he said.
“We have the stats to say regional doctors tend to stay here. Politics goes up and down and we need to convince them to see the need for a school. We did that before the last election.
“We’ve been hoping for a long time. We need to make our case widely known.”
The MDMS website says there are critical doctor shortages across the Murray Darling region that must be addressed.
The MDMS will train local students who want to stay close to their family and friends after they graduate, with a tailored education so they provide the health services needed by regional and rural communities.
It says only about 10% of graduates from metropolitan medical schools end up working in the regions and the MDMS will address doctor shortages.
The online petition can be found at www.csu.edu.au/go/murraydarlingpartnership. The link has more information on the MDMS.