A review, commissioned by the Department of Health and Community Services, that looks at the training needs of doctors and aims to provide more opportunities for undergraduate and post graduate medical students has been released today.
The NT Medical Education and Training Review comprehensively maps the medical education and training needs of the Northern Territory medical workforce and provides a number of options for improving the current system.
Chief Executive Officer Dr David Ashbridge said it was timely to consider how to best develop and improve the Northern Territory's medical workforce.
He said: "I believe that is it important to improve co-ordination of training for doctors to take into account the future needs of the Northern Territory.
"The report has looked at better co-ordination of medical training, easier transitions from undergraduate to specialist training and enhancing the quality of training and managing of medical students. These are all areas where further stakeholder consultation will be sought."
Dr Ashbridge said one of the significant recommendations of the review would be to hold a medical education and training summit in Darwin in April.
"Key stakeholders will be invited to attend the summit and provide guidance in achieving realistic outcomes" he said.
Dr Ashbridge said Mr Robert Wells, the Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Executive Director of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Australian National University in Canberra, had accepted the invitation to chair the summit.
He said Mr Wells had worked on a range of health policy and systems issues, including primary care, private health insurance, rural health and health workforce.
Download report: NT Review of Medical Education and Training (Adobe PDF document - 1228KB)
Media Contact: Michelle Foster, RDH Media Manager 0419 818 414
Release date: 25 January 2008
