Uni wants 40 more medical places

Monday, 1 May 2006

The University of Adelaide is seeking 40 more HECS places in its Medical School, according to the Executive Dean of the University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Justin Beilby.

The Federal Government last month announced a $250 million package to fund extra medicine and nursing places at universities around the country. A total of 400 extra medicine places will be funded by 2009, with 160 of those already allocated to Victorian medical schools and the remaining 240 to be distributed across Australia (including Victoria).

Professor Beilby says the University of Adelaide is ready, willing and able to take on extra HECS places.

"We don't think asking for 40 places out of a national pool of 240 is too much, and we will be asking the Federal Government to provide them to us," Professor Beilby says. "We have one of the best medical schools in the country and this is a great opportunity to allow more people to study here.

"We are in the process of remodelling the way we deliver our Medicine program in order to handle an additional 40 places.

"We are prepared to do what it takes in order to train more doctors in South Australia, and to work closely with the State Government in retaining these doctors in this State once they finish their training at the University.

"We have an ageing workforce that we need to plan to replace, and we would also be happy to explore how to create flexibility with our training to focus on specific gaps of the State's medical skills."

The University and the State Government have already joined in a partnership to provide extra places in the Medical School. From next year, the State Government will provide five extra places and the University will reinforce this with 20 places through its tertiary transfer scheme, as well as up to 15 fee-playing places.

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