In December 2024, 21 new graduates – including three Indigenous graduates – received their Doctor of Medicine (MD), marking a milestone in the Northern Territory Medical Program.
For more than a decade, Flinders University’s Northern Territory Medical Program has been expanding as the only Australian Medical Council-accredited program offered entirely in the NT.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling says Flinders University has maintained an enduring presence in the Territory, as the University celebrates its 229th medical graduate.
“Our medical program delivers hands-on training tailored to the unique environments of the Territory, where our students gain experience from Darwin, to Nhulunbuy, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and remote homelands, working alongside Traditional Owners and community leaders to deliver meaningful healthcare,” Professor Stirling says.
The four-year Flinders MD program is taught entirely in the NT in a unique collaboration between the Northern Territory Government and the Federal Government, and in partnership with Charles Darwin University.
The program prioritises NT residents, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, with more than 60 percent of graduates remaining in the Territory beyond their two-year return of service. Graduates also make up 50 percent of General Practice Registrar trainees in the NT.
2024 graduate Dr Madison (Maddy) Ludwig’s (MD ’24) experience in renal nursing laid a strong foundation for making a career in medicine a natural next step in her healthcare journey. Her curiosity and drive to deepen her clinical understanding led her to Flinders University’s Doctor of Medicine program through the Indigenous Entry Stream.
Maddy’s placements took her across the Northern Territory, providing invaluable exposure to rural and remote healthcare. In her third year, she completed a five-month placement on Yolngu Country in Nhulunbuy. “I worked in the emergency department, maternity, and general ward at Gove Hospital, and went on outreach trips to surrounding communities,” she says.
In her final year, Maddy spent three months on Arrernte Country at Alice Springs Hospital. Rotations in alcohol and other drugs, paediatrics, and orthopaedic surgery rounded out her education. “It was a perfect way to finish my degree,” she reflects.
Professor Robyn Aitken, Flinders University Dean, Rural and Remote Health, says: “Our Territory-based training is transformative. It combines the resources of a major institution with the intimacy and resilience of close-knit communities, to deliver a healthcare workforce tailored to the NT’s unique needs.”