ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 144
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
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An innovative training pathway for rural general
practitioners in Queensland
A/Prof Hwee Sin Chong
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Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service
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Aim
The Medical Pathway, formed in 2021, offers students the opportunity to train and prepare for a
medical career in regional, rural and remote Queensland. The pathway is a unique partnership
between two universities and two health services, allowing students to complete their medical
training from undergraduate through to Fellowship in the Darling Downs and South West regions.
This powerful collaboration is between The University of Queensland (UQ), The University of Southern
Queensland (UniSQ) and two public hospital and health services (Darling Downs and South West) with
a vision to deliver local ‘end-to-end’ medical education and training.
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Content
The implementation of the Medical Pathway, an evidence-based workforce strategy, is pivotal in
improving health service access for Darling Downs and South West communities. Longitudinal
studies have shown that students who study in regional and rural communities for longer than one
year are four times more likely to continue to live and work in those communities after graduation.
There have been fundamental changes undertaken across the partners, including: creation of a
local undergraduate program provided by UniSQ with a provisional entry pathway to the UQ medical
program; changes to the UQ medical program to include specific curriculum content on rural general
practice supporting more general practice education and experiences; and an education program
with unique clinical rotations, designed to support general practice and rural generalism in
prevocational training.
Goals
The foundation cohort of 22 students has commenced the Medical Pathway this year and is
expected to graduate with a Doctor of Medicine in 2027. This presentation will describe the progress
and changes to date, focusing on the hospital prevocational component, and outline the vision for
future growth.
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