❓ Mr Alban asks about the impact of the new Curtin medical school in Midland on increasing local doctor capacity. The Minister for Health responds, highlighting the government's efforts and the benefits of the new school, including increased training capacity and a focus on general practice.
AnsweredQoN 421Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MEDICAL
SCHOOL — MIDLAND
421. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the
Minister for Health:
Before asking my question, I acknowledge the teachers and
students of Aranmore Catholic Primary School, in the electorate of the member
for Perth.
I refer to the announcement on Sunday about Curtin University
establishing a medical school in Midland. Can the minister outline how this
will increase local doctor capacity in Western Australia?
SCHOOL — MIDLAND
421. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the
Minister for Health:
Before asking my question, I acknowledge the teachers and
students of Aranmore Catholic Primary School, in the electorate of the member
for Perth.
I refer to the announcement on Sunday about Curtin University
establishing a medical school in Midland. Can the minister outline how this
will increase local doctor capacity in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
The Premier and the Prime Minister announced some excellent
news on Sunday about the new medical school in Western Australia—the
Curtin medical school. The government has been lobbying for this for more than
two years now, and it is fantastic news that it is up and running. It is great
news for the eastern suburbs. It is interesting looking through previous
reports from the members for Midland and West Swan, both of whom were critical
of the government and listing the medical school as one of our broken promises.
Clearly, as was said at the time of that debate, we have four years of
government.
Ms R. Saffioti :
Has it been built yet? Have I missed something?
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
have the detailed quote but I have not brought it in.
It is great news that this has been
approved. The state government funding and the funding from Curtin University
will now progress quickly. The land has been identified already, and we will
make sure that the school is developed.
There has been criticism about the
issue of where we are going with training. It is absolutely critical that we
provide training in this state for those students. As members know, there is a
commitment, and that commitment remains, that all Western Australian graduates
will be guaranteed a year of internship to make sure that they fulfil the
requirements of their degrees. We have the capacity to do that. The numbers
approved for the current year were slightly less than the total available, and
so we are able to have other students coming in. Remember, it is a five-year
course, and the students will not even be coming into the health system as
students for at least another four years. It is two years until the program
starts, and in their second and third years they usually start spending time in
hospitals. The brand-new Midland Public Hospital is right next door to the new
medical school and creates a great opportunity. However, this school will
operate in a different way. Students will be trained in a much more hands-on
manner than we were, spending time with groups such as Silver Chain, and in
general practice, learning a lot of hands-on medicine that will make them
ideally suited to be general practitioners. I will close with some comments
from Professor Con Michael. He has just recently completed a study into the
whole training program in Western Australia for medical students and made a
number of recommendations about how students are trained and how they can be
better directed into the specialties, especially in areas where there is a
shortage. He wrote —
The additional graduates are
absolutely necessary to meet the future supply requirements for doctors in WA
and with the recommended reforms that will lead to innovative clinical training
and placement positions being created these graduates can be accommodated in
the WA hospital system.
Professor Con Michael is extremely
well regarded within the state—an eminent professor—and, having
just done this study, his words should carry an enormous amount of weight, and
they back up the decision of this government and the federal government to
support this medical school. I look forward to the first students graduating in
the early 2020s.
Distinguished Visitor — Senator
Zhenya Wang Statement
THE
SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland) :
Before calling for the next question, I welcome into the gallery Senator Wang
from the federal Parliament.
news on Sunday about the new medical school in Western Australia—the
Curtin medical school. The government has been lobbying for this for more than
two years now, and it is fantastic news that it is up and running. It is great
news for the eastern suburbs. It is interesting looking through previous
reports from the members for Midland and West Swan, both of whom were critical
of the government and listing the medical school as one of our broken promises.
Clearly, as was said at the time of that debate, we have four years of
government.
Ms R. Saffioti :
Has it been built yet? Have I missed something?
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
have the detailed quote but I have not brought it in.
It is great news that this has been
approved. The state government funding and the funding from Curtin University
will now progress quickly. The land has been identified already, and we will
make sure that the school is developed.
There has been criticism about the
issue of where we are going with training. It is absolutely critical that we
provide training in this state for those students. As members know, there is a
commitment, and that commitment remains, that all Western Australian graduates
will be guaranteed a year of internship to make sure that they fulfil the
requirements of their degrees. We have the capacity to do that. The numbers
approved for the current year were slightly less than the total available, and
so we are able to have other students coming in. Remember, it is a five-year
course, and the students will not even be coming into the health system as
students for at least another four years. It is two years until the program
starts, and in their second and third years they usually start spending time in
hospitals. The brand-new Midland Public Hospital is right next door to the new
medical school and creates a great opportunity. However, this school will
operate in a different way. Students will be trained in a much more hands-on
manner than we were, spending time with groups such as Silver Chain, and in
general practice, learning a lot of hands-on medicine that will make them
ideally suited to be general practitioners. I will close with some comments
from Professor Con Michael. He has just recently completed a study into the
whole training program in Western Australia for medical students and made a
number of recommendations about how students are trained and how they can be
better directed into the specialties, especially in areas where there is a
shortage. He wrote —
The additional graduates are
absolutely necessary to meet the future supply requirements for doctors in WA
and with the recommended reforms that will lead to innovative clinical training
and placement positions being created these graduates can be accommodated in
the WA hospital system.
Professor Con Michael is extremely
well regarded within the state—an eminent professor—and, having
just done this study, his words should carry an enormous amount of weight, and
they back up the decision of this government and the federal government to
support this medical school. I look forward to the first students graduating in
the early 2020s.
Distinguished Visitor — Senator
Zhenya Wang Statement
THE
SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland) :
Before calling for the next question, I welcome into the gallery Senator Wang
from the federal Parliament.
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