By Sally Lauder
A record number of 39 medical students started their journey at Flinders University in Darwin in of 2024 _ a 30% increase in new students when compared to last year.
Flinders received extra funding from the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments to expand our Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP), the NT’s only medical program.
The medical program has been running since 2011 and is taught across Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine and Nhulunbuy. It is the only pathway for students located in the NT to study and work where they live. The NTMP is set to boost the pipeline of medical staff in the Territory for years to come.
Rural and Remote Health Deputy Dean, Professor James Smith says the program expansion is great news for the NT and its communities.
“We are delighted to welcome a record number of students this year, up from 30 in 2023 and 24 in 2022. This is an acknowledgement of Flinders University’s commitment to facilitate and deliver an outstanding program in the NT, taught by local staff and trained in local facilities,” Professor Smith says.
“To receive additional funding is a vote of trust from the governments, and an appreciation of our past work. To date, the program has produced more than 200 graduates and more than half of them are now in the NT workforce.
“These individuals play a massive role in the local community and Flinders is proud to equip them with the knowledge and skills to do that.”
First-year NT medical student Sophie L’Estrange is grateful for the opportunity to undertake her studies in her local community. Having worked as an oral health professional for several years, Sophie appreciates the challenges that remote places bring.
However, she recognises that these unique challenges can sometimes limit professional growth.
“Becoming a doctor was intriguing to me, but I never thought that I was smart enough, or I’d have to move to the city to study. It never fitted into my lifestyle or where I was at in my life stage,” she says.
“With the NTMP being offered locally, I did not need to uproot my family and can plan our future in the NT where we are.”