A Riverina-based medical school could be operating by 2019, prompting calls for the government to open its wallet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A report from PPB Advisory estimated The Murray Darling Medical School, a joint proposal from Charles Sturt University and La Trobe University, would pump close to $2 billion into regional economies while saving the government hundreds of millions in training at the same time.
The proposal is based on James Cook University’s highly-successful regional doctor training program and would see existing facilities in Wagga, Orange and Bendigo turn regional kids into regional doctors.
Students would also be active in another 16 clinical training centres throughout regional Victoria and NSW, which could include Albury-Wodonga.
“When people study in a regional area they’re more inclined to stay in a regional area so we want to ensure local kids can become local doctors,” Charles Sturt University’s Peter Fraser said.
“The report shows the MDMS would be three times more efficient in delivering doctors – we would conservatively retain half of our 180 graduates every year, metropolitan schools would need to produce more than 690 doctors to match it.”
