The number of doctors being trained in Western Australia is amongst the lowest per capita in Australia, with all states and territories except the Northern Territory preparing more doctors to serve their communities.
Western Australia currently offers 14.4 doctor training places per 100,000 head of population. This is well below the top performing ACT, which offers 25.7 places per 100,000 head of population.
Following the ACT are Tasmania (23.7), South Australia (21.5), Queensland (19.3), New South Wales (15.3) and Victoria (15.2). The Northern Territory is currently producing the lowest number of doctors, with 10.4 places offered per 100,000 head of population.
The statistics were collected as part of Curtin University’s proposal for a new medical school based at its Bentley Campus.*
Professor Jill Downie, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Health Sciences at Curtin University, said the number of training places currently being offered was concerning given Western Australia’s major expansions in public and private hospitals giving rise to a 30 per cent increase in hospital beds and the current rate of population growth.
“Western Australia is experiencing the fastest growing population in Australia at 2.7 per cent growth annually,” Professor Downie said.
“People in city and country areas already complain about the lack of access to doctors and this situation is only going to get worse.
“By 2022 it is predicted that an extra 2,897 doctors will be needed.
“It’s time to act now to prepare ourselves for the next period of strong population growth.”
The low number of doctor training places available in the State is just one concern to the University.
Western Australia is also now the only state in Australia without a direct-entry undergraduate medical program, and is the only state or territory apart from the smaller ACT and Tasmania, to have only one public medical program.
“The low number of training opportunities combined with not having an undergraduate medical degree available in WA will mean students will look for alternative study options,” she said.
“This is likely to mean school leavers wishing to commence medical studies straight from school will move to another state to study and may be lost to WA’s future workforce.”
“Queensland, which is experiencing its own population boom, is on the right track with four universities offering medical degrees, two of those being direct-entry undergraduate degrees.
In February, Curtin launched www.doctorsforthefuture.com.au, a community campaign aimed at raising awareness of the increasing shortage of doctors in Western Australia and Curtin’s proposal for a medical school.
The proposed medical school would increase the number of doctors available by offering the only five-year direct-entry undergraduate medicine degree available in Western Australia.
Should approval for a medical school be achieved by mid-2012, the first graduates of Curtin’s degree would enter the workforce in 2019.
To register support for the campaign visit www.doctorsforthefuture.com.au
* Notes to editor:
| AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS | ||||||
| Based on Medical Deans 2011 data | ||||||
| Student Numbers (2011 enrolments) | ||||||
| State | University | School Commenced | Domestic | International | TOTAL | Per 100,000 pop’n |
| ACT | Australian National University | 2004 | 92 | 2 | 94 | |
| 94 | 25.7 | |||||
| New South Wales | University of Newcastle & University of New England | 1975/2008 | 179 | 19 | 198 | |
| University of New South Wales | 1960 | 206 | 69 | 275 | ||
| University of Notre Dame – Sydney | 2008 | 113 | 0 | 113 | ||
| University of Sydney | 1856 | 261 | 66 | 327 | ||
| University of Western Sydney | 2007 | 104 | 18 | 122 | ||
| University of Wollongong | 2007 | 78 | 7 | 85 | ||
| 1,120 | 15.3 | |||||
| Queensland | University of Queensland | 1936 | 305 | 142 | 447 | |
| Bond University | 2005 | 85 | 2 | 87 | ||
| (Full Fee places only) | ||||||
| Griffith University | 2005 | 154 | 0 | 154 | ||
| James Cook University | 2000 | 182 | 13 | 195 | ||
| 883 | 19.3 | |||||
| South Australia | University of Adelaide | 1885 | 175 | 15 | 190 | |
| Flinders University | 1972 | 142 | 25 | 167 | ||
| 357 | 21.5 | |||||
| Tasmania | University of Tasmania | TBD | 100 | 21 | 121 | |
| 121 | 23.7 | |||||
| Victoria | Deakin University | 2008 | 131 | 1 | 132 | |
| University of Melbourne | 1862 | 305 | 26 | 331 | ||
| Monash University | 1961 | 316 | 78 | 394 | ||
| 857 | 15.2 | |||||
| Western Australia | University of WA | 1956 | 211 | 25 | 236 | |
| University of Notre Dame – Fremantle | 2005 | 102 | 0 | 102 | ||
| 338 | 14.4 | |||||
| Northern Territory | NT Medical Program – enrolled at Flinders University | 2011 | 24 | 0 | 24 | |
| 24 | 10.4 | |||||
| 3,770 | ||||||
| Notes: | ||||||
| 2011 enrolment figures taken from 2011 Medical Students Statistics, Medical Deans Australia & NZ | ||||||
| http://www.medicaldeans.org.au/statistics/annualtables (Table 1a & Table 2 accessed 18.3.2012) | ||||||
| Flinders 142 inc the 24 NTMP enrolments (24 is not double counted in 3770 total) (see http://www.flinders.edu.au/medicine/sites/nt-clinical-school/nt-medical-program/nt-medical-program.cfm) |
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| Uni of Melbourne’s 80 are full fee paying domestic and international | ||||||
| Uni of Melbourne’s 2011 intake is into the MD program only | ||||||
| Monash 2011 intake is 89 PG and 305 UG | ||||||
| UWA 2011 intake is 65 PG and 171 UG | ||||||
Contact:
Kristy Jones, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 9085, Email: k.jones@curtin.edu.au
Web: http://curtin.edu.au
