Northern Territory health services will benefit greatly with 25 new doctors graduating from the Flinders Northern Territory Medical Program – a highly successful joint initiative of Flinders University, Charles Darwin University, and the Northern Territory and Australian Governments.

The 2017 graduates form the largest class of doctors to graduate since the program began in 2011.

They are Brendan Phelan, Adam Whitehead, Sanjay Joseph, Brandon Mu, Khadijah Nadeem, Cristina Galvan Dickson, Jarrad Dickson, Pawan Koirala, Josie Wright, Lauren Thomas, Kimberley Flavell, Monica Mu, Paul Lee, David Huynh, Debbie-Ann Gillon, Annette Baker, Natasha Bertschi, Belinda Washington, Lisa Murphy, Nancy Saunders-Clay, Jessica Turner, Andrew Wren, Thomas Kaye, Geordie Morgan and Teresa Sutherland.

The NT Medical Program has now graduated 74 doctors, including 8 Australian Indigenous doctors (one in 2017).

Flinders University Chancellor Stephen Gerlach and Northern Territory Minister for Health Natasha Fyles attended the graduation ceremony at the Darwin Convention Centre on 15 December to congratulate the NT graduates, who will spend the next four years developing their skills by undertaking internships at either Royal Darwin Hospital or Alice Springs Hospital.

Minister Fyles said “many graduates pursue a career as General Practitioners and we know the field of primary health care is where we can make the most difference in improving our health outcomes. The NT Government is working with NTMP, NTGPE and other stakeholders to formalise a NT Remote Generalist Pathway, which will result in highly skilled GP’s strengthening primary health care teams across the Territory.”

Chancellor Stephen Gerlach said to the graduates “you are graduating from the only institution in Australia to offer qualifications in remote health, a crucial area in health provision in a land as sparsely populated as ours and one that faces such unique social, climatic and geographic challenges.”

These graduates continue a great culture of achievement already laid down by Flinders medical graduates, including former Northern Territory Junior Doctor of the Year Tessa Finney-Brown, and the bumper crop of 15 NT medical graduates from last year.

Pictured above:

• Front row, L-R: Brendan Phelan, Adam Whitehead, Sanjay Joseph, Brandon Mu, Khadijah Nadeem, Cristina Galvan Dickson, Jarrad Dickson, Pawan Koirala, Josie Wright.
• Second row, L-R: Lauren Thomas, Kimberley Flavell, Monica Mu, Paul Lee, David Huynh, Debbie-Ann Gillon, Annette Baker, Natasha Bertschi.
• Back row. L-R: Belinda Washington, Lisa Murphy, Nancy Saunders-Clay, Jessica Turner, Andrew Wren.
• Students absent from the graduation ceremony: Thomas Kaye, Geordie Morgan, Teresa Sutherland.