The Medical Pathways 2023
The Medical Pathways aim to secure long-term, locally trained workforces for the regional, rural and remote communities of Queensland, with a particular focus on Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Darling Downs (DD) and South West (SW).
They are designed to improve accessibility for regionally based students, allowing them to study, train, and practice in the regions they are from.
It has been an exciting year for The Medical Pathways and the year of many firsts.
Our DD-SW partnering university, University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) welcomed the inaugural undergraduate cohort of the Darling Downs South- West Medical Pathway. Students have just finished their first year of a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Medicine Pathway). We will welcome these students at the Toowoomba Regional Clinical Unit from 2026.
The Regional Medical Pathway (RMP) Graduate Entry cohort completed their Year 1 of the MD program in Brisbane this year, and will move to the regions for the remainder of their program. The local teams in both Rockhampton and Bundaberg excitingly anticipate the arrival of these students in 2024 and have implemented noteworthy changes to better accommodate the increased number of medical students.
In December, The Commonwealth Government announced the allocation of an additional 10 Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) for The University of Queensland’s Doctor of Medicine program. These places are targeted at the Central Queensland Regional Pathway, with a matched reallocation of 10 CSPs from metropolitan student numbers. We are proud of this outcome and what it will bring to the implementation of the Medical Pathways in the regions.
The Medical Pathways is built on strong partnerships, and we would like to thank our partners, staff, and key industry leaders for a fantastic year.
Central Queensland University (CQU), Queensland Government, Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) and Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS)
University of Southern Queensland, Queensland Government, Darling Downs Health and South West Hospital and Health Services
